


Black And Gold

by Frin



Series: Black And Gold [1]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Comedy, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Romance, Sexy Times, romp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-12
Updated: 2014-05-01
Packaged: 2018-01-15 11:47:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 40
Words: 47,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1303762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frin/pseuds/Frin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>The Doctor is in Pete's world. Rose never thought it would come to this. Now they have to start being honest...</i>
</p><p>
  <i>First  Published: 2008.09.08 </i>
</p><p>
  <i>"If the fish swam out of the ocean and grew legs and started walking and the apes climbed down from the trees and grew tall and they started talking..." Sam Sparro</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

They didn't know what to say to one another. They were both in shock. He hadn't seen that coming and nor had she.

His thoughts were overcrowding his head. He had daydreamed, fantasized about this so much, and now... looking at Rose he wasn't sure how it was going to turn out.

He could still hear that little voice inside right at the back telling him, always telling him.

"Run..." it whispered. But now it was weaker, it didn't give him the urge to just get up and go.

She was holding, clasping, his hand tightly as if she thought he might very well run, but still he had doubts. She seemed a bit vacant and he took that as a feeling of him not being right. Of being second best.

That was a new feeling for him. He had always been the best, brilliant, couldn't help it, just the way it was. Now, he felt like he could be judged and it made him feel nauseous. The only person who had ever judged him before was himself. Really judged him.

He watched her deep in thought, wishing he could just reach in to her mind and find out. But that was forbidden, she had told him that a long time ago, made it quite clear how she felt about that sort of intrusion.

She looked quite different to that little girl who he had taken on that first trip trying to impress her with the end of the world.

"You've got me," she had said shyly after, linking her arm in his and he had fallen... just a little bit.

Now though, she seemed older and less soft. Time had hardened her and his one heart felt heavy, responsible.

She glanced up at him and smiled weakly. She was still in there, then. She had spent the last few years covering herself over, not letting anyone in, scared to be hurt anymore. He noted the tears in her eyes.

That time in Cardiff, the first time they went, she had been so confident then. He had seen her as a woman not as a child and the stirrings had begun.

"I'm so glad I met you..." he said in the face of certain death.

"Me too..."

She opened her mouth to speak but no words would come. Her phone beeped in her pocket, she pulled it out and looked at him apologetically. She stood up letting go of his hand leaving him sitting alone. Alone. 

He watched her back as she walked across the Zeppelin talking words that she obviously didn't want him to hear.

Words... there were times when words just came. They spilled out without really giving thought to what they could actually mean.

"Then what are you waiting for?" she had asked.

"I could save the world and lose you," he had answered not thinking about the consequences of the words. 

That Dalek, it had told her how he felt, really felt, about her. It had told him too.

"What use are emotions if you won't save the woman you love?" From there it had only been a matter of time. His heart was bursting with the memories. He got up to walk over to her, to tell her nothing had changed.

Then he heard her words as she breathed into her phone hushed and hasty.

"I love you too, sweetheart, I can't wait to see you... bye." She saw him coming and put the phone away quickly, guiltily.

His heart seared with pain. She hadn't waited then. She had got on with her life, forged new friendships. There was no room for him, she was just looking after him for a friend.

He felt anger. She had promised him forever. He felt a jealousy rise in his throat like bile. Once upon a time he could compete with a rival, but now... now he felt hopeless.

Jack... smooth operator, that one. Showing her moves, making a headlong pass at her in front of him. That is what had pushed him over the edge. Oh yes, he remembered how to dance alright and he was going to show her.

That night, that wonderful night he had broken his rules.

"Rose?" he said knocking at her door. She opened it and pulled him inside expectantly. They stood staring at each other not sure where to begin. And then, brave girl, she had moved towards him touching his chest, feeling his hearts beating so fast in there.

That sweet first kiss, so tender. He had felt himself awakening as if from a very long sleep. Then the passion spiralled almost out of control.

As he entered her sweetness, plundering the ripe honey within, she had called out his name again and again screaming in ecstasy. That had put Jack in his place. That had put himself in his place.

Rose walked back over to him, not knowing that he was breaking inside. She reached out a hand for him but this time, this time, he didn't take it. She furrowed her brow in confusion and... what was that... hurt?

He turned his back on her, tears beginning to spill.

"Doctor?" she asked him (Oh, so I'm still the Doctor then?)

He ran then, couldn't, wouldn't, shouldn't. He found a toilet, locked himself in and threw up sobbing and retching. He was born out of battle but he was born out of love as well. And now? No use for it.

That woman had done for him what no other had, she went back for him, saved him. She had looked into the heart of the TARDIS, his wonderful, faithful TARDIS; and taken in the Vortex. Those two had combined forces and saved the world.

"I want you safe, my Doctor." Only he had had to sacrifice himself. Worth it, well worth it.

There was a knock at the door.

"Doctor?" she asked hesitantly. He tried to calm himself. She rattled the door.

"Let me in, Doctor..." How the metaphores ridiculed him. He took a deep breath and opened the door.

That woman had given more and taken more than any other and she had found someone else? It didn't make sense.

She put her arms about him and held him tightly. Why did she think he was upset?

She led him to a tiny, claustrophobic cabin, sat him on the bunk and removed his shoes. Then she pulled off his jacket.

"You need to rest," she whispered gently pushing him back. She climbed beside him holding him tightly to her. He could feel her heart hammering against her chest.

Something didn't add up...


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _And the stars fell out of the sky and my tears rolled into the ocean. Now I'm looking for a reason why you even set my world into motion... Sam Sparro_

He lay there trying to fight the exhaustion and failing miserably. He shouldn't be there with her, she shouldn't be... what was she saying?

"He should've thought how it would affect you... I found it hard enough, but you, it was your home..." No, she thought the tears were for the TARDIS, she didn't know he knew.

He listened to the sound of her soft voice, not listening to the words, drifting into his own sleepy world of memories.

She had found it hard adjusting to this face. He had really tried during regeneration to make her something she would like. And she did. But however much she was attracted to him, she was loyal.

He had pulled out all the stops. He had flirted with her unashamedly as soon as his regeneration had settled. Pulled out all the stops. Took her to New Earth, he got a snog, but not really from her. Then he thought he'd date her, take her out. A concert, but that backfired, by a hundred years.

Then they met up with Sarah Jane and then issues were forced. He had to admit something or lose her to Mickey-the-Idiot...

"But humans decay; you wither and you die. Imagine watching that happen to someone you l..."

"What Doctor?" he had nearly told her, nearly crossed that boundary. He should have. It proved one thing to him though, she still wanted him, not Mickey. Just one more push and she would be his again.

She was quiet now, not speaking. Maybe she was asleep? No he could feel her shudders against him, silently weeping. He wanted to comfort her, to tell her it was alright. Her words on the phone came back to him, she loved someone else.

Reinette... she pushed Rose to her limit. She was so threatened by her. He enjoyed part of it. The flirting, the look on Rose's face as she fumed at him. Then it was over and he was feeling the guilt. He had left her hoping for him and he had never had any intention.

It was only ever Rose. It worked though. She came to his room that time. Made her claim to him. She explored his new body kissing and licking and biting him all over. She made him shout that night when she took him into her mouth. Sod Mickey. There was never ever any going back from that.

Never say never ever.

"You awake?" she asked him.

"Yeah," he answered quietly surprised by the sound of her voice.

"What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking about Madame De Pompadour." He was being truthful but it sounded so... pompous... wrong. She sat up and looked at him in the half dark.

"What?"

"Reinette? You know. Spaceship? Clockwork Men?"

"You are unbelievable!"

"Thank you... I think," he said trying,and failing, to see what her face was saying in the poor light.

"I thought we were going through this great big... emotional... I don't know what you call it! And there you are daydreaming about your past conquests!" She got up.

"I wasn't though!" he said quickly. Gone were the days when he was going to let her decide what he was thinking. He would tell her.

"What?" She stopped, waiting.

"You want me to tell you why?" he asked after a long awkward silence.

"Yes!"

"Fidelity... loyalty... trust."

"And what has that got to do with... do you mean the other one?" she whispered, thinking she understood.

"No! I do not mean him! I am not jealous of him! If you wanted him then you would want me. Might have taken you a bit of time but you would have got there in the end."

"Might have?" she asked, clearly very puzzled.

"Rose, I heard you on the phone, didn't mean too. It's just when you hear the love of your life telling someone else that they love them... well, that bothers me more than not having the TARDIS, actually." She was silent, couldn't think of what to say.

"Rose, I understand..."

"No, you don't... it isn't what you think."

"Don't cover it up, Rose, I might only be a few hours old physically, but in my head I'm still nine hundred and four!" She bent down to find his face, to look in his eyes.

"It isn't what you think, I promise..." Her breathing was laboured, her voice catching in her throat.

"Then tell me!"

"I can't... not yet! I'm not ready too... not yet!" she sobbed and rushed out of the cabin.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _'Cause if you're not really here then the stars don't even matter. Now I'm filled to the top with fear, but it's all just a bunch of matter. 'Cause if you're not really here then I don't want to be either. I wanna be next to you, black and gold, black and gold, black and gold... Sam Sparro_

He stayed there for a while not sure what had happened. Rose was definitely confused. Was it still his place to sort her out?

She was upset, he couldn't leave it at that. As he got up he reflected that he had never gone after Rose when she was upset before. He had just sort of left her to stew. New new Doctor, he thought.

He moved quietly up the dark passage way listening. He tried to tune into his Time Lord perceptions to locate her. Even that was confused. At one door he heard voices, he stopped.

"You have to tell him, sweetheart." Jackie.

"But it's such a mess! I don't even know if he... you know? What a thing to load on to someone on top of everything else!"

"You need to tell him before we get back," said Jackie as Rose sobbed. He heard rustling as Jackie comforted her. Not needed then. Spare.

He made his way back to the tiny little space as far from his beautiful TARDIS as one could get.

He remembered how close they got after the incident with Reinette. They were unable to keep their hands off each other. This had been unfair on Mickey but he found a place to run, to go and get away from Rose. Try to get over Rose.

After the upset of this world, on their first visit; he had picked up the pieces. She had found it hard to cope with the mess that was left behind.

He was the only person she wanted and they spent some time in the vortex lying in his bed making gentle needy love. He kissed away the tears.

He nearly lost her when they got back to Earth. When he saw his beautiful Rose with no face, he nearly changed the course of history. He never loved her so much as when he saw her standing there waiting for him, that smile spread across her face.

Then there was Krop Tor. Lost together. Not so bad. Yeah? Yes. 

"If there's one thing I believe in, I believe in her!" Commitment. Valiant Child.

From there the dread had started. He knew something was going to take her away. He couldn't stop it. He took her home. Bad move.

Then the white wall loomed. Everything gone.

He curled up on the bunk weeping. He was lonely before, but now? He had never felt lonelier.

Sleep took him, completely overpowered him. He knew the human part of him would demand it, but it was still a surprise.

He woke up cold and cramped. The grey daylight filtered through the porthole.

He needed to get away. That was his plan. As soon as he could, he'd run. He wouldn't look back. He had looked after himself long enough, he'd get by.

If he was out of the way Rose could get on with it. He did't want to be a pain. Oh, but it hurt. She promised him. He believed.

There was a knock at the door. He got up and opened it. Rose.

She looked awful, eyes red and puffy with big black circles underneath. Her skin was pale and her hair hung limp. She gave him a weak smile.

"I thought we could get a cup of tea." she said. He felt anger building inside him. Tea? The solution to everything. Cup of tea.

"Yeah..." was all he could say.

"Doctor," she said quietly. He looked up then, all the pain in his eyes reflected in hers. She drew her breath in sharply.

"It's okay, Rose," he said gently.

"I..." she was trying to tell him. He didn't think he could cope. Tears trickled down her face. He did nothing. He wanted to take her in his arms and show her how much he still loved her, but he did nothing.

"I don't know where to begin!" she sobbed. He sighed.

"The beginning is best," he said, "let's get that cup of tea." He pulled on his Converses and slung on his blue jacket. Instinctively he held out his hand. she baulked, hesitated, enough time for him to retract and stuff it into his pocket.

Holding hands. Something as trivial as that was so important.

They went to the cafeteria. It was still very early and hardly anyone was about. They found a table tucked away in a secluded corner, sat opposite each other. He waited. She gazed down at her hands in her lap.

"Rose, if you don't want to explain, you don't have to. You owe me nothing. When we land I'll leave, just toddle off out of your life. You'd never see me again."

"Is that what you want?"

"It isn't about what I want. I think I made it quite clear what I want on the   
beach yesterday. You seem a bit confused."

"Is it wrong for me to be confused?"

"No, but given the circumstances I find it a bit unfair!"

"I don't want you to walk out of my life." Did that mean there was hope?

"I want to know about the two of you. How can that happen?"

"Rose you saw me do it, you saw me throw my regeneration into this hand, you were there."

"Why did you, then?"

"Vanity, didn't want the next face having you. Ha! The irony!" Bitter-sweet.

"But that was him." She looked perplexed.

"No, that was us... after that... nothing until Donna..." He stared off into space, as if a piece of the puzzle didn't quite fit.

"It's very hard to understand."

"We weren't separate beings until I syphoned off the regeneration. Before that, same man."

"As simple as that?"

"Yup... apart from the one heart and the ageing and maybe, well I think I might just have a pinch of Donna looming about in here." He was rattling, he could hear himself, the nerves were getting to him.

"Doctor, there is something you need to know..." Her phone chimed, interrupting. She pulled it out of her pocket.

"Sorry, it's Dad..." she put her head down and talked. 

"Yeah... Why didn't you call Mum?... Well, if he feels sick, don't send him... no, no television. Put him back to bed with a book... No, I don't want to talk to... hello Tony... you're not feeling so good... I know... yeah...we'll be back today... got you a present... you be good for... just be good... love you... bye..."


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I looked up into the night sky and see a thousand eyes staring back. And all around these golden beacons I see nothing but black. I feel a way of something beyond this. I don't see what I can feel. If vision is the only validation then most of my life isn't real... Sam Sparro >_

She turned back to the Doctor placing her phone on the table.

"Close to him then?" She smiled shyly and nodded. He looked out of the window.

"I think I see land," he murmured, his stomach knotting. What now?

Then Jackie arrived grumbling about uncomfortable bunks and the cold and the need for a nice cup of English tea.

He observed her with some amusement. She could talk for her country, that one. If there were an Olympic event for gossiping mother-in-laws, Jackie would win gold, hands down, every time. He stopped. Mother-in-law. No chance of that now.

Rose was distracted from him which gave him a chance to study her. She was gaunt and grey. She didn't look like someone happily in love. She looked like someone who had been pining away for years. Like looking in the mirror.

Strangely that made him feel better. Absent-mindedly he picked up her phone. There was a photo of a small child on it. He had big brown eyes and was pulling a stupid face. A great manic grin smiling at the camera. It made the Doctor grin back.

He realised that they had stopped talking and were watching him. He looked up and put the phone down quickly.

"Sorry," he said, "is that Tony?"

"Yes.." said Rose softly, her big eyes rounded.

"He's got Rose's eyes, " he smiled, "poor little bugger, going to look like his big sister. You must keep him away from the hair dye, Jackie! There'll be no hope for him otherwise!" He was teasing, he couldn't help it. They didn't react. Jackie just glanced from him to Rose looking confused. Perhaps circumstances were too serious for jokes. Not appropriate.

The awkward moment was interrupted by an announcement over the tannoid saying that they would be landing shortly.

Half an hour later they were walking down the gangplank onto dry land.

"Home sweet home," muttered Jackie. There was a car waiting for them. The Doctor hesitated.

"Don't leave, Doctor, please..." she said, standing as close to him as she could without touch.

"Why should I stay, Rose?" He was pushing her in to a corner.

"I... I love you," she stammered, her voice cracking. It just confused him all the more. Things needed to be sorted out. Not here.

They sat in the car in silence. Sitting in the back side by side, thigh by thigh. She loved him. This should be happy. The start of his new life. The one adventure he could never have. Before yesterday. It felt like an ending.

The car pulled up at the Tyler Mansion about an hour later. The weary travellers got out of it and stood on the driveway looking up towards the house. The car drove away. It could have left them nearer to the house. 

The big black front door opened and Pete emerged only to be nearly knocked flying by a small figure sprinting at full tilt towards them.

"Mummy!" he shouted running very fast straight at them. He was skinny and wearing space rocket pyjamas. His brown untidy hair stuck out all over the place.

He really was a good runner for one so small the Doctor observed.Then everything went into slow motion as Rose broke into a run towards the little boy.

As she got nearer she fell to her knees with a sob, her arms outstretched. He ran into them holding her tightly, possessively.

_He was standing back on that beach on the worst day of his life. Just a hologram. She stood before him in tears choking a little bit._

_"There's five of us now, Mum, Dad, Mickey... and the baby..."_

_"You're not?" She looked at him briefly, holding his gaze for a moment. Then she shook her head._

_"No..." with a little ironic laugh._

Liar! Now it made sense. Poor Rose. Poor poor Rose. Lucky Rose.

She was looking at him over the little brown head, waiting to see if the penny had dropped.

"Mummy, who's that man with the silly hair?" asked the little boy. Tony. Cheek. Silly hair? He could talk.

"Don't be rude, Tony. That's the Doctor." His big brown eyes went even wider. The Doctor walked towards the two of them.

"Hello... Tony," he said softly.

"You're the Doctor?" he asked in awe, standing straight looking into the Doctor's face. The Doctor's eyes flickered up and met Rose's. He smiled shyly.

"Oh yes, I most certainly am..."


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _'Cause if you're not really here then I don't want to be either. I wanna be next to you... Sam Sparro_

Jackie burst into tears.

"What's wrong, Grandma?" asked Tony. The Doctor looked at Jackie with raised eyebrows, a smile beginning to form on his lips.

"Don't you bloody start!" sobbed Jackie. The Doctor snorted.

"Mum! Don't swear in front of Tony! And you, don't you tease her! Took her a while to get used to that!"

"I know what it means Mum, but I'm not likely to use it as an expression of anger. I would only ever use it in the proper sense of the word i.e. "I have fallen over and now have a bloody knee." Although, as an expletive I can think of worse words she could use..." He looked thoughtfully into nowhere as the Doctor turned to Rose with his eyebrow cocked. Rose shrugged with a small smile.

"Definitely mine then..." he muttered.

In the kitchen they sat around the scrubbed pine table drinking tea. The Doctor and Rose hardly spoke. It was Tony who held court to the four adults, although he was giving the Doctor a wide berth, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Mum?" whispered Tony sitting on Rose's lap playing with her hair.

"Yes Tony?"

"Did you bring me back something from the Universe Prime? You said you would." Rose pulled out a smooth white round stone from her pocket and gave it to him.

"This is really from there?" he asked stroking it reverently.

"Yes, it was shining in the moonlight and I thought of you." Her eyes were shining with fresh tears.

"Thank you Mummy, can I go and put it on my shelf?"

"Yes, of course you can!" He kissed her on the cheek, climbed down and padded out of the room.

"Unbelievable!" said Jackie," most kids his age would be expecting something like a remote controlled car. He's happy with a rock!"

"It's important to him, where he comes from!" said Rose.

"How old did you say he was?" asked the Doctor.

"He`s just over three... he's a bit bright..." said Rose.

"Weeell... stands to reason really..."

"Oh God! Here we go! Pete, we're going to have to get the doorways widened to make room for the Doctor's big head!" squawked Jackie with a smile.

The Doctor grinned back and then leaned into Rose making her jump.

"Is there somewhere we can go to talk?" he asked her softly. Jackie and Pete exchanged looks.

"You go on... you need to have this conversation. Tony will be fine. There's a documentary on Discovery about the migrational habits of bees. He's been on about it, I'll park him there for a while," said Pete.

"Really?" asked the Doctor an eyebrow raising, "I wouldn't mind watching that myself... you know some bees aren't from this planet. I'll bet they don't mention that on..." He was interrupted.

"Oh God! Two of them!" said Jackie as Rose dragged him out of the room.

**********

She took him up to her room and shut the door on the rest of the world. He turned to face her.

"You were never staying over there?"

"No, we needed your help... I was the only one experienced enough to find you."

"But you could have got stuck!"

"Yeah, if I didn't the universes would have ended, it was do or die!"

"Same old Rose."

"Yeah."

"All this was as much your doing as mine then. You wished it," he said thoughtfully.

"Does it work like that? Do people really get what they wish for?" He looked at her.

"Sometimes... I think they actually might. Especially if the TARDIS is involved."

"Sorry?"

"Weell... I keep trying to work out how the meta-crisis actually happened. I know that I syphoned off the regeneration into my hand and I know that Donna triggered it. Who do you think made it happen? Who had a particular bond with you? Who would have known about the pregnancy before? Who would have known you weren't staying with me? I know I was always confiding to her... always telling her I wanted to lead a normal life. That I wanted to be with you. Oh, I'm rambling again, aren't I?"

"You think the TARDIS gave us our hearts desires?"

"Yes, something like that. But she kept... let's call him the "Time Lord Prime"... to herself." Rose sat down on her bed mulling this over.

"Tell me about Tony," he said quietly.

"Well, he's demanding and you can see he's really bright."

"I mean from the beginning. How was your pregnancy?"

"I was sick for six months. Then I had terrible cravings for marmalade and bananas..."

"Bananas are good... lots of potassium for..."

"I know, Doctor!"

"So you coped? And he's... he's okay? He`s not...?"

"He's human, Doctor. One heart." She was reminded of the film Forrest Gump, when he discovers there is a little Forrest in the world and is terrified he might be retarded.

"So you coped?"

"It gave me a reason for going on... I'm sorry I lied."

"I can understand... still, would have been important to me to know."

"I think you might have done something dangerous if you knew." He didn't reply to that, just nodded slightly.

"And the birth?" Rose looked at him guiltily like she had deprived him of it all.

"I've footage of it," she said.

"Really?" His face lit up.

"Yes, I decided to keep a video diary of it all. Pregnancy, birth, baby stuff... right up to three months ago when I left...Though Pete said he'd do some in case I was gone very long."

"You were away three months?" She nodded sadly.

"Anyway the diary, I did it for you, in case I never got the chance... you might have found it one day. Then you would have known."

"Can I see it?"

"Yes, of course, now?"

"No, later will do... I want to talk with you first." He sat down at her dressing table facing her.

"You never had any intention of staying with me?"

"I couldn't. I was going to ask if you would come back. I didn't expect you to, but I hoped if you knew about Tony, you might. I didn't get the chance to tell you though... it all happened so fast." The Doctor nodded.

"So, I'm here now, we weren't really given a choice. How do you feel about that?"

"It's weird. I mean how can you be the same person?"

"There isn't any deep hidden meaning to it, it just is."

"But there's the question of Tony. I mean... are you?"

"What do you want, Rose, DNA tests?" He was teasing her.

He stood up, pulled her to her feet and pushed her over to the full length mirror.

"See, Rose, two of you... which one is Tony's mother?" She stared at her reflection in the mirror and then her eyes moved to his.

"I can't believe you're really here," she whispered.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _'Cause if you're not really here then the stars don't even matter... Sam Sparroi_

He pulled her around to face him. His dark eyes dilating making them look black. He moved in towards her. She pulled back.

"We can't!" Disappointment seared through him.

"I mean with Tony around. I've been away for three months! Do you know how long that is for a child?"

"You're asking me a question about time and relativity? Me?"

"Oh, shut up! I mean we can't go blocking him out... you, will have to wait!" His heart beat wildly in his chest.

"And that's a promise?" He bent his head and kissed her gently.

The door swung open and Tony stood there now dressed in a hoodie, jeans and little blue Converses. He looked very unsure of the situation.

"Hello sweetheart, I was just showing the Doctor around." The little big brown eyes took in his mother and the Doctor as they moved away from each other.

"Jackie wants to take me out. I wasn't that bothered, but I thought I would humour her. I think she missed me," he said seriously.

"Well, we could all go?" suggested the Doctor. Tony looked them up and down.

"I think you need to change first, you're messy!" They hadn't changed or showered since their travels had started and they were filthy.

"Okay, I'll do something with you later when I've showered then?" said Rose. He nodded a little sullenly, stared at the Doctor a little longer than he felt comfortable with; then left.

"Did he call her Jackie?" asked the Doctor.

"Yes, I think he calls her Grandma to wind her up..." Rose looked unhappily at the empty doorway.

"That's my boy!" he said puffing his chest up and then his face clouded over.

"Although, I think he's going to be tough on me... doesn't like me, does he?"

"He wasn't expecting this. He'll need time to adjust. He's very bright... he can read and all sorts... he's only three! Makes him separate sometimes... sort of alone. He knows who you are, you know, too bright to be lied too."

"Unlike his father then. What do you mean he knows who I am?"

"Well he asks things. I had to be honest. I told him all about our adventures, we treat them like bedtime stories. Are you cross that I didn't tell you?"

"Sad, not cross. I can understand why. I am a bit miffed at Jackie though, playing games with me!"

"I'm sure you'll exact your revenge on her!" Rose smiled, moved to the window and watched her parents and their son move off down the drive. Tony was running again. The Doctor moved behind her and watched. 

It gave him a funny feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"I've got a son," he said out loud to make it real.

"Yes," she answered smiling shyly.

"And, I believe that leaves us quite alone."

"Yes, but he's right. We are dirty, we should shower..." She turned to face him.

"Okay!" he grinned moving in closer to her. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him letting go of her barriers.

Desire coursed through his body like molten lava as he experienced the first throes of human lust.

It wasn't dissimilar to how he used to feel but the physical senses seemed much more heightened. Instead of having a gradual build up to want it was instant. His groin tightened as Rose pressed into him.

"Oh God, Rose!" he groaned.

"It's okay, Doctor, it's been a long time."

"It's different now though."

"Yeah, like the first time again," she smiled.

"What?"

"Well, when you regenerated, our first time was your bodies first time and now, I suppose it's almost like being a virgin again."

"Yeah, but it's more than that."

"Why?"

"Well, I'm part human now. It'll be different, it already feels different."

"Good different, bad different?"

"Good different," he grinned, "but I can't see me lasting very long!"

"No, well, I wouldn't worry too much about that. I think you'll find I'm very much in the same boat!" These words were too much for the Doctor. He growled and pulled her body to him, feeling every curve of her against him and pushing himself into her.

Quickly they started to undress. First of all each other, but they found their haste made them clumsy, so they undressed themselves.

"I'm a bit out of practise, " she said standing naked in front of him

"I should hope so! Me too!" he grinned and launched himself at her pushing her laughing on to the bed.

He jumped on top of her hungrily searching for her lips. Rose could feel surges of electricity between them.

"Doctor?"

"Yes."

"What about contraception?" He stopped still and pulled back.

"What about it?"

"Well, as I recall we never used it before because you claimed that you could convince your super Time Lord sperm to not fertilise my ovaries. That backfired, I have the evidence." The Doctor groaned.

"Oh God, don't you want another one then?"

"Not now I don't, maybe in the future sometime! Hang on!" She ran out of the room leaving the Doctor exasperated and naked. She returned within minutes.

"These are Mum and Dad's," she said dropping a pack of condoms on the bed.

"Okay, this'll be new."

"Better safe than sorry. Now where were we?" she asked falling back beside him. He grinned and moved in towards her mouth.

As they kissed their bodies seemed to mould into one another. She caressed his back tracing a line down from shoulder to bum. She grabbed his right buttock and squeezed it. He responded by pushing into her, his erection poking her hard in the stomach.

His hands were on the move. He was exploring Rose's body finding new bumps and bones that he didn't remember from before. Her breasts were larger and lower and her nipples much darker responding quickly as he licked and nipped each tip. Then he sucked each one in turn as his hand moved down to where she most wanted it to be.

Parting her lips he delved his index finger inside her. She gasped thrusting her pelvis into his hand. His thumb touched her clitoris and circled it slowly. The muscles on his finger tightened prompting him to insert a second one. He moved them in and out of her and all the while his thumb continued to flick and circle the tight bundle of nerves.

"Doctor... want you... in me... now!" she panted. She pushed him aside and grabbed a condom, opening the wrapper with her teeth. The Doctor watched amused at the urgency she demonstrated. She rolled the condom onto him making him gasp at her touch.

"Now, Doctor," she said. He pushed her back and moved his body in between her legs. He smiled down at her taking in the blackening of her dilated pupils and the flush on her neck and cheeks.

She licked her lips and gasped as his tip entered inside her. He paused.

"Fuck me!" she begged, "now!"

He pushed himself all the way in to the hilt and started to move in and out at a steady and forceful pace. Her pelvis found the rhythm and moved with him. Her back arched as she panted for air. He could feel her muscles in spasm around him as she went into a succession of multiple orgasms.

"Oh God! Oh God! Doctor!" she shouted at the top of her voice and he couldn't hold back any more. His pace quickened as he hammered into her, right into her very core gasping her name.

"I love you!" he shouted as he rammed himself into her. She screamed loudly as they climaxed together her body juddering underneath him. He continued to push into her as their orgasms subsided. He was watching her face and then he slowed and stopped. She gazed up at him and smiled. He smiled back, laughing breathily.

"I haven't done that since the Olympic Games 2012!" he gasped.

"Me neither! The first time after giving birth isn't supposed to be good... but that.. was fanbloodytastic!"

"I like the way you used that expletive, Rose!" he teased. He pulled himself out of her and nipped off to the bathroom to discard the waste.

"Not so nice!" he commented returning and snuggling in to her.

"I'll go on the pill," she said.

"I don't like the idea of you pushing a load of chemicals inside yourself. How will that affect conception at a later date?"

"Doctor, shut up!" He was stroking her belly.

"You've got some stretch marks , haven't you?"

"How to make a girl feel gorgeous in eight words!" He pulled back the covers and looked at her stomach.

"I think they're gorgeous." He kissed the tiny, and very few, silvery marks sending shivers straight into her groin.

"He was a bloody big baby, okay? Nine pounds and four ounces!"

"I cant wait to see that recording!" he smiled. Her face clouded over.

"What? What's wrong." She looked at him thoughtfully.

"You want me to be honest, yes?" Oh God, what was she going to say? 

"I would hope," was all he could respond with.

"I left a copy of it in his jacket pocket, I had planned to do that all along."

"Aaah," he murmured thoughtfully. Then he shook himself.

"I don't think it such a bad idea. I mean, technically we are both his father and, as angry as I am at him; I do think he deserves to know. Maybe he'll get some joy out of it. Now, about that shower..."


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _If vision is the only validation then most of my life isn't real... Sam Sparro_

The Doctor is in the TARDIS. He is pacing, he hasn't been able to rest since he left her there, with him.

He wanders around the console room thinking. He's sure he's done the right thing and that, once they've accepted it, nature would take it's course.

This doesn't make him feel any better about it for himself. He shakes himself, trying to convince himself it's good.

He stops, shoving his hands into his pockets remembering her face. He pulls out a DVD from his pocket and stares at it, his eyebrows wrinkling together.

He walks over to the console and places it into the slot. Rose appears on the monitor. He sits down.

"Doctor, if you're watching this then it means I'm back here and you didn't come with me. It also means that the universes are safe and that's good.This film is to show you something that I didn't get the opportunity to tell you about. It isn't to make you sad. It isn't to try and make you come here. It is to make you happy. To make you understand why I didn't stay with you. To apologise for not telling you when I should have."

Camera off.  
Camera on.

We see Rose again at a side angle her hair is shorter and a bit fluffier. She is sitting in some kind of waiting room. She looks sideways at the camera.

"I need a wee!" she whispers.

"You have to wait," answers a familiar voice from behind the camera.

"Mum, I'm going to wet myself!"

"They said they wanted your bladder full. They get more detail like that."

"'m scared. Mum."

"Why?"

"What if it's different? What if it's got two... you know?"

"It'll be fine... we'll cross that bridge if we come to it."

"Rose Tyler!" announces a loud voice.

"That's you!" hisses Jackie.

"Never!" says Rose glaring at the camera.

Camera off.  
Camera on.

Rose is lying on an examination table her little baby bump is exposed and covered in gel. There is the sound of a single heart beat magnified around the room.

The camera closes in on Rose's face concentrating hard at the monitor. It pans round and focuses on the monitor itself clearly showing a baby wriggling about. You can make out it's fingers and toes even. The camera pulls back round to Rose's face. Her eyes are wet. She looks at the camera.

"See Doctor, that's our baby." 

Camera off.  
Camera on.

"It's the middle of the night and I can't sleep." Rose is staring into the camera dishevelled and bleary eyed.

"I don't know if I can do this on my own! I'm scared stiff, that scan today made it so real." She gazes into space miserably.

"I want a banana and I've eaten them all!" She bursts into tears. "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid me!"

Camera off.  
Camera on.

"Mickey! I don't want you to film me puking! He won't want to see this!"

"Warts and all you said!" Mickey's voice is behind the camera. It's Rose's bathroom and she is hugging the loo. Every now and then she retches. In between a bout she turns green-faced to the camera.

"See this Doctor? You did this to me! And, if you think you ever will again, if I ever get back to you, well, you've got another think coming!"

"Liar!"

"Shut up Mickey!" She retches again.

Camera off.  
Camera on.

"I just felt it kick! Oh my God, it's so strong! I wish you could feel it too..."

Camera off.  
Camera on.

"It's the middle of the night! It won't ever rest! It's just like you! I'm tired, I'm fat and I just want this baby out of me!"

Camera off.  
Camera on.

Someone is filming Rose from the window. She is walking around the gardens of the Tyler Mansion. Her baby bump is very large now and she has adopted a sort of waddle to compensate the extra weight she is carrying. She looks beautiful as she slowly exercises her aching limbs. Someone is gently weeping.

"I hope you're as proud of her as I am, Doctor," says Jackie's broken voice from above the camera.

Camera off.  
Camera on.

"I don't want M'ckey to be my birthing partner, Mum!"

They are sitting in a large rustic kitchen and Rose is looking very cornered. The table is covered in papers.

"Why?" asks Mickey's voice from above the camera.

"Because it's not right... I... It's... not fair on you or the Doctor!"

"But he's not here!" says Jackie.

"I can do this on my own!"

"Rose, you'll need someone with you... it'll have to be me then."

"No! Mum, seriously... I don't need...you won't... it's my baby!"

"Jacks, it's alright, she needs someone a bit calmer, you can look after everything else outside of delivery. Look after Mickey and that. I'll be your birthing partner if you want, Rose."

"You'd do that?"

"If you want me too." She leans over awkwardly and squeezes his hand.

"You've said no to pain relief, Rose, is that wise?" Jackie asks shuffling the forms about in front of them.

"Yeah, I can't take any risks. Aspirin is like poison to the Doctor. I don't know what reaction the baby might have. I'll have to get some tests run after it's born."

"But the pain?" Rose looks at the camera.

"Been through worse."

Camera off.  
Camera on.

Rose is sat on her bed. It's dark and she looks very serious.

"Mickey asked me to marry him." She looks down at her lap and then back up again. "I said no. I didn't want to hurt him, but I think I've strung him on for long enough, don't you? If I can't have you... well I'd rather not have anyone. I'll have the baby to remind me of you." She smiles sadly, looking into the distance as if remembering something.

"Oh yes, my waters have broken. I don't want to tell anyone yet... they'll only start panicking. If you were here I think you probably would too..."

Camera off.  
Camera on.

Everyone's in the car.

"Just go easy, Mickey." It's Rose's voice that's above the camera. You can hear the laughter in her voice.

"Rose! You should put that down! You're going to have a baby!" says Jackie, her voice close to hysteria.

"I'm fine, it's the rest of you's falling apart!" Then the camera slips into her lap as she lets out a groan.

"Another?" asks Pete's voice.

"Yeah, that was a big one."

"Just breath through them."

Camera off.  
Camera on.

"Yeah, that button there... that's close up. I want it all, okay? Spare no detail! Thanks." She turns to Pete.

"Thank goodness for students!"

Camera off.  
Camera on.

"Are you sure you don't want to try the gas and air?"

"No, 'm fine!" She's gritting her teeth and her hair is sticking to her head and face.

"Let me see how you're getting along..." There's a pause save Rose's slight panting. The midwife speaks again.

"Lovely... I'd say about eight centimetres. We can head down to the birthing pool in about half an hour, okay?"

"Yeah..." A tear slips down her cheek.

"You okay?" murmurs Pete gently.

"I want the Doctor," she sniffs.

"You don't need one, you're doing just fine!" says the midwife brightly.

Camera off.  
Camera on.

Rose is in the birthing pool. She is wearing a t-shirt and Pete is crouched by her head holding her hand. Rose's face is contorted and she is groaning as she pushes.

"Baby is crowning... I can see the head." Under the water the camera picks up a dark brown surface pushing between Rose's fair pubic hair.

"That's a good girl, you're doing lovely. Now pant... good girl... baby's nearly here. Next one, I want you to give the biggest push you can, but, when I tell you to stop, I want you to, okay it's important you do, we have to check babies free to come out, okay?" Rose nods and then grimaces as another contraction begins.

The camera closes in under the water as a little brown head appears and then pulls back slightly. Then there is the sound of her grunting into another push and the head is out completely.

"That's it now stop for me." Skilful rubber covered fingers move around the babies neck and mouth between Rose's legs.

"Fine, next one just push gently... it's easy from here, okay?"

"Yeah," says Rose panting above the camera.

Suddenly the baby slithers out into the water looking almost like he's swimming out of her. And indeed it is a boy. A pair of hands pull him out onto Rose's chest. She's smiling and crying at the same time. She looks full of power, fantastic.

"You've got a little boy, Rose." says Pete, tears flowing down his face.

"Yeah, I knew," she answers looking into the camera and then down at her baby.

"I'll just go and..." says Pete.

"Yeah." Pete leaves and Rose is helped to feed her baby for the first time. The student midwife gets some really good shots of the baby latching on to Rose's nipple and suckling greedily.

"I think that'll do," Rose says quietly.

Camera off.

The Doctor stops the film at this point. Enough for now. He blinks gazing round the console room. He smiles slightly as tears spill from his eyes. He grips the console, his knuckles whitening. His shoulders shake with sobs.

"Oh Rose..." he whispers.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I turned around, the future was now, the future was all around me, nothing like I imagined. It was totally confounding... Sam Sparro_

"Oh Rose!" said the Doctor, stopping the film at that point and blinking hard. He stood up, tightened the bathrobe he was wearing and went to find her.

She was busy in the kitchen trying to get his suit trousers clean. She turned to him when he walked in.

"You haven't watched all..." but she stopped when she saw his face. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her very hard, taking the breath out of her.

She grabbed hold of him as he murmured into her neck.

"You were all alone..." She pulled back cupping his cheeks in her hands.

"No, I had support."

"Without me... I feel so..."

"Doctor, I didn't tell you... you didn't know!"

"Next time, Rose... I promise you... I promise I will be there every step of the way! I'll take you to every visit to the doctor's, or midwife, or hospital check ups! I'll rub your aching limbs and find you bananas whatever time of day. And I'll be right there at the birth"

"Doctor, I'm fine! I've moved on from that! I'm sorry that you missed out on it, but you can't beat yourself up over it. I'm just happy you're here now." He was looking at her in awe.

"Rose, you're so strong, so brave..."

"I just did what I had to do." She was looking thoughtful. "What do you mean next time?" she asked after a pause as he held her tightly again. His hands slipped underneath the bathrobe she was wearing.

"Weeell... I thought we could, one day, maybe... have another? Or more, I don't know, whatever you want..." Rose looked at him, considering and feeling his warm hands wakening parts of her that she didn't think would waken for a while.

"I'd like that..." she said breathlessly as his fingers found what they were looking for, "and there's lots of fun in the practise..." She let her fingers venture into the nether regions of his dressing gown making him hiss as her fingers wrapped around his tightening girth.

He picked her up and placed her on to the work surface parting her legs and walking into her her. She kissed him as he parted the folds of her wetness and placed the tip of himself on to her centre. She pulled back spluttering.

"But... I don't think we should be thinking about getting pregnant just yet!" she exclaimed taking in a sharp breath as she saw the lust in his eyes. He pushed inside her slightly.

"Okay... shall we take this upstairs?" he asked grinning cheekily. She slipped back onto the counter leaving his dripping member saluting the air.

"Perhaps we should..." Then suddenly chaos broke out as doors were opened and Jackie called that they were home. A tiny three year old walked in on them and stopped dead still as they quickly covered themselves up and moved apart.

Jackie followed him and took in the situation quickly. She glared at the Doctor and skilfully manoeuvring Tony out of the room she hissed.

"For Gawd's sake! Sort yourselves out, you're behaving like a pair of teenagers!" Pete was right behind her and he obviously wasn't sure how he should react. He was bordering on laughter, either through nerves or amusement, it didn't matter. They went off to distract Tony.

"Oh dear! This is going to be difficult..." said the now deflating Doctor.

"Welcome to parenthood!" smiled Rose. He smiled back at her recovering from the embarrassment quickly.

"Still... I'm going to need to do some overtime with him... I haven't started very well..."

"It'll be fine... you two are so alike... he really needs someone. He's been so lonely, I can only do so much and other kids his age are... well... they're still babies really. He's very advanced."

"Time Lord genes..." Rose nodded. His eyes fixed on a pile of stuff on the kitchen table.

"What's all this?"

"I found it all in your trouser pockets. How do you get so much in?"

"Time Lord science... trans-dimensional pockets..."

"Just like the TARDIS?" His face looked slightly pained and he nodded sifting through the items on the table. Some of it looked very useful and some of it was... well... a load of rubbish.

"You're going to need some more clothes. I thought we'd go shopping tomorrow, I know it's a pain but you can't possibly survive in one suit without the very special laundry service you once had."

"Shopping? How very domesticated! I think I might like shopping!" Rose shook her head with a wry smile. There was Donna, lurking about inside him. She could cope with that! 

Jackie came back in and looked at him sternly.

"Why haven't you got dressed?" she asked.

"He hasn't any clean clothes, Mum!" Rose replied sticking up for him. 

"Maybe not, but you have! I think you need to get your heads out of your knickers and think about that little boy in there! When you've put some time in with him, then you should maybe think about going away for a break together and get it out your system! There will be some boxers and a t-shirt of Pete's he can use for decencies sake. Go on, he's asking all sorts of questions!"

They scampered upstairs like naughty school children. When they got to Rose's room they giggled helplessly. He moved into her and grabbed her bathrobe belt.

"Doctor!"

"Oh, just quickly! It won't take long! Please!"

"You should be ashamed!" she said pulling away but with a smirk on her face. She went off to find the t-shirt and boxers that Jackie had suggested.

Half an hour later they went downstairs. Rose was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and the Doctor was wearing a pair of old drawstring Bermuda's of Pete's that she had found along with a black t-shirt. He looked odd but respectable.

Tony sat at the table looking at this strange man that nobody had thought to prepare him for. He wondered if they really did share the same genes.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _And the apes climbed down from the trees and grew legs and the started talking... Sam Sparro_

The Doctor and Rose decided that until Tony was more comfortable with him that they would put on the façade of having separate bedrooms.

The Doctor still didn't need an inordinate amount of sleep and promised Rose that he would be out of her bed before Tony woke.

It was a good plan, except for one thing. Like father like son.

The first morning the Doctor woke from a slumber that had been much needed after a particularly energetic session testing out the bed springs. They almost had to gag themselves for fear of being heard and only a few gasps and groans and one shriek had managed to escape them.

The noise of the bed had worried them and they had ended up on the floor for the best part of the night. He had lifted her back into bed much later on when she shivered against him, the cold night air chilling them both.

He stretched and looked at the time. Ten past five. He found it hard to believe that he could sleep that long. He looked at Rose. He was very tempted to wake her for a reprise, but past experience told him that he would more likely get a clout.

He leaned up on his elbow to watch her sleep. His gaze was met by a sullen pair of brown eyes staring at him on the other side of her.

"What are you doing in my mum's bed?" he asked.

"Well... wh... what are you?" stuttered the Doctor.

"I had a bad dream," he said proudly.

"Yeah? Me too!" 

"Why aren't you wearing your pyjamas then?"

"I was hot."

"And Mum?"

"Yes, I made her hot too."

"If it was me she'd say it was inappropriate," he said the last popping every single p with relish. The Doctor smiled.

"You didn't really have a bad dream, did you?" Tony shook his head.

"I always wake up really early. Mum tells me off. So I come in here for company. I like to watch her sleep. If she wakes up I just pretend I've been sleepwalking." The Doctor grinned proudly.

"Good one... so, you don't need much sleep?"

"Not as much as all of them."

"Me too!"

"Really?"

"Yeah!" Tony looked at him thoughtfully.

"You hungry?" he asked.

"I s'pose."

"Good, 'cos you can make me some breakfast while you make yours!" The little boy got up and went to the door. The Doctor sat there staring at him with a big grin on his face.

"I'm waiting!" came the little impatient voice.

"Well why don't you go on down and I'll come down in a minute and join you?"

"I'll wait outside, it's dark down there."

"Big boy like you scared of the dark?"

"Not scared, just don't want to disturb the darkness." He went out onto the landing.

The Doctor jumped up and slung on the Bermudas and t-shirt he had worn the day before.

Tony was sat on the floor with his back on the wall facing their bedroom door. He stood up when the Doctor came out.

"So, what do you want for breakfast then?" asked the Doctor as they strode down the corridor.

"Do you mean what should I eat or what do I actually want?" asked Tony slyly.

"Mmm... both!" As they went downstairs the Doctor instinctively held out his hand. Tony looked at it for a moment and then took it.

"I like bananas with chocolate sauce and sprinkles. Grandad lets me have that sometimes..." He stopped on the stairs and looked at the Doctor solemnly, "you mustn't tell!"

"I promise... it can be the men's secret! Bananas with chocolate sauce and sprinkles? Sounds... fantastic!" Tony smiled broadly at him and the Doctor watched as it turned into a familiar big grin. He returned it proudly.

"Perhaps we better try it out together? Secretly, mind you!"

"Yeah!" gasped Tony with excitement as he let go of the Doctor's hand and ran off downstairs in the direction of the kitchen.

"Hey! What happened about being afraid of the dark?"

"Not afraid! I just said that to get you down here!"

When he got into the kitchen Tony was sat at the table sifting through the pile of oddments that Rose had pulled out of his trouser pockets. The Doctor started to slice bananas watching the boy out the corner of his eye.

Each object he picked up he treated with interest and reverence. The Doctor put the sliced fruit into two bowls.

"That's a screw from the TARDIS..." he told Tony as he held up an object in the electric light. Tony spun round with big eyes.

"The real true life TARDIS?" he asked breathlessly.

"Yep... and you can keep it." He went to the fridge and located the chocolate sauce.

"Really, truly... I can have it?"

"Yes. If you promise to show me your collection later." Tony nodded grinning, stowing the screw away in his dressing gown pocket.

"You're going to have to help me out. I can't find the sprinkles." Tony climbed up onto the work surface and reached high. He pulled out a little tub of sprinkles.

"Mum hides them... I always find them!"

They ate their breakfast in relative silence. It was Tony who started to laugh first.

"What?" said the Doctor puzzled.

"You've got chocolate sauce all over your face!" giggled Tony.

"Well... so have you! I was just too polite to say!" He couldn't help smiling at the little boy. His laughter made him feel... full. Happy. Complete. He started to laugh right back.

Rose was just waking upstairs when she heard the commotion downstairs. She could hear shrieks and laughter. It wasn't her mum. What was going on? She rose and slung on her dressing gown.

The noise was coming from the living room. She listened before she opened the door.

"No! It was my idea, I'm the pilot!" Unmistakeably the Doctor's voice. 

"You already were the pilot, you can be the navigator!" said Tony.

"It's too easy! Man of my knowledge ought to be the pilot!"

Rose opened the door and let it swing to. The sight that met her eyes shocked her.

They had bought in all the chairs from the kitchen and built a sort of TARDIS shaped thing out of it. The cream cushions from the sofa were all off and being used to make the thing look more TARDIS shape. On closer inspection it looked something like chocolate was smeared on some of them. Yes, judging by the two shocked dirty faces it was, indeed chocolate.


	10. Chapter 10

"What on Earth do you two think you're doing?" she hissed with her hands on her hips, not looking unlike her mother and putting the fear of God into the two boys standing in front of her smeared in chocolate sauce.

They stood sheepishly with their heads hung.

"Look at the mess! And is that chocolate?"

"No..." they said simultaneously their heads shooting up and shaking.

"It is... look! It's all over my mum's cushion covers... she's gonna..." A smirk interrupted her from behind. She swivelled around to see Jackie standing behind her with a big grin on her face.

"I'm gonna have to put it all in the wash!" she retorted pushing past Rose into the room. Tony, by now, had started to fidget, battling with the excess sugar in his system. He jumped on to the cushion-less sofa and enjoyed the tautness of the springs under his bare feet. The Doctor fought back a grin.

"Mum! Look at him, he's all sugared up!"

"Rose... you look at him... have you ever seen him so..." Rose grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the room. Tony looked at the Doctor and the Doctor looked at Tony.

"Uh oh!" said the Doctor. Tony giggled and continued trampolining.

"What do you think you're doing?" hissed Rose in the kitchen.

"Lighten up, Rose! He needs him! Look at them... bloody made for each other! I've never seen him so... alive!"

"He can't just fill him up with sugar and... and..." Rose stopped, not really knowing what to say and observing the mess that was once Jackie's prided kitchen. Jackie followed her eye-line and gasped.

"Well, His Nibs can clear up!" she said, but not without a smile in her voice.

The sound of whooping came from the garden and they both moved to the large kitchen window. The two boys were running around the lawn like headless chickens, both obviously suffering from a sugar rush.

"He's still in his 'jamas, Mum!"

"It's not cold, Rose. Come on, give them a chance... it won't be like this all the time. You have to let go a bit." Rose continued to watch them wondering who she should let go a bit of first.

"I brought a kid up on my own and there were many times she needed a dad. He needs one more, I'd say." Rose watched them racing around and then falling into a messy heap in the dew laughing. She tried to understand what she was going through.

"You have to share, Rose..." said Jackie quietly. _Who first?_

**********

Later, in the kitchen while Jackie was bathing Tony; Rose stood watching the Doctor clearing up.

"You can't fill a three year old with sugar at six o'clock in the morning... it isn't... healthy..." He looked up and smiled at her.

"You really though that one through, didn't you? So, I gave him an overdose of sugar? Does it matter?" Rose looked at him and thought that he was right.

"Well, don't make a habit of it! Sugar will make any child a bit hyper and he's so like you he already is, besides, it's no good for the teeth..."

"Now, there you have a point..." He turned to her and put his wet hands around her waist.

"And you must never ever let him eat sweet stuff at night... I already have difficulty enough with his sleep patterns! You're getting me wet!" He raised his eyebrows at the innuendo.

"Oh yes?" he husked.

"Stop it!" she smiled, taking his hands away and returning them to the sink. She bent down and retrieved his suit trousers from the tumble dryer. She held them up and inspected them.

"These haven't come up that well... we're going to have to go shopping, you know?"

"We? Why do I have to come?" he whined.

"We have to get you some new clothes... this suit is all you have. You haven't got the TARDIS to look after you now. You're a different person and you won't be able to wear the same thing day in day out..."

"I'm not that different," he pouted.

"No, I didn't mean that... I meant your chemistry is different. You won't keep clean in the same way." He looked at her for a long while with a slight smile on his face.

"Rose... my suit was laundered virtually every night. Had to be, all those messy adventures!"

"Oh..." she murmured. She felt left out of something that happened on the TARDIS while she was sleeping.

"But, you are right about not having the TARDIS to clear up after me. We should go shopping. But today I'd just like to enjoy being here with you and getting to know Tony. I want to watch some more of that film too..." Rose looked at him thoughtfully.

"Okay. But tomorrow we shop..."

"God help me!" he smiled. 

Jackie walked in with a clean Tony. He was grinning from ear to ear. She was drenched from head to toe.

"Anthony John Tyler! What have you done to your grandmother?" scolded Rose with amusement in her voice.

"I was a submarine!" he smiled. Jackie was more discombobulated by the use of the word `grandmother` than her wet clothes and quickly scooted off to change before the Doctor could tease.

"Anthony? Where did you get that name from?" he asked thoughtfully.

"What?"

"Well, names, they're important, aren't they? You wouldn't just pluck the name out of anywhere. I just wondered if there was a reason for it?" She took hold of his hands and smiled.

"When I was pregnant I did a bit of travelling. Only across Europe... needed to sort stuff out in my head. Losing you and becoming a mother... a sort of pilgrimage. Anyway, I found myself in a church in Portugal. I was reading about a man who had been from around there who had been sainted. He was the patron saint of lost things, of the poor and of travellers. He was a doctor of the church. Saint Anthony of Padua. It sort of stuck in my head." 

He ruminated on this and pulled her right into him making ready for a long embrace. A small cough reached up from below. They looked down to see serious brown eyes looking up at them.

"Do you want to see my collection now?" he asked the Doctor pointedly.


	11. Chapter 11

It had taken a couple of days, but the Doctor finally plucked up the courage to take another look at the film that Rose had left for him. It had been burning a hole in his pocket.

He moved down the corridor to the living room, put the disc in the player, gathered up the remote control and sat down heavily. He could already feel the emotion balling in his throat but the viewing was compulsive. He owed them that.

He pointed the remote and pressed play.

Camera on.

Rose is looking into the camera. She's looked better. Her skin is flawed and there are circles under her eyes. Her hair hangs limp and unwashed. She glares at the camera.

"He won't sleep. All he wants is me to hold him constantly. He feeds like there's no tomorrow and my nipples are so sore!" A tear skitters from her duct and down her cheek.

"Baby blues! How can they call this feeling that's so big, so overwhelming... how can they trivialise it like that?" She looks downwards and there is a snuffling sound below the camera.

"Don't tug!" she squeaks. She glances back up at the camera.

"I swear he knows. He has your eyes... he looks so... wise sometimes."

Camera off.  
Camera on.

 

Someone, who is using the camera, is skulking around Rose's semi-dark bedroom. It homes in on the bump in the bed. Rose is fast asleep. The baby lies beside her. One of his tiny hands is curled into her hair. The other is linked into hers which is resting beside him. The camera takes a close up shot of the two hands entwined with each other.

"Mickey... what you doing?" grumbles Rose's sleepy voice.

Camera off.  
Camera on.

"Tony! Tony! Who's Nana's little boy then? Yes you are... yes you are..." Jackie's voice is somewhere behind the camera. The little boy is lying on the floor looking intently into the camera with big brown eyes. His dark brown hair sticks out in tufts all over. He kicks his legs wildly but remains mesmerised by either the camera or Jackie's shrill voice, which continues to talk a load of nonsense.

"Mum!" Rose's voice breaks into her babbling flow and the tiny head turns to the direction it comes from. He focuses and coos at her. A huge gummy grin breaks onto his face. 

"It's not good for him to hear that. If you babble nonsense at him, then all he'll learn is nonsense!"

"Never done you no harm!" says Jackie's voice with a sniff. The brown eyes focus back on the camera again and little hands reach up.

"You're a little monster, yes you are... keeping mummy up all night... making her all grouchy..." Finally a little hand makes it's last attempt at the camera and succeeds as everything goes blank.

Camera off.  
Camera on.

Tony is up on all fours and he is rocking.

"He can't be! He's only four months old!" squeaks Jackie.

"Look at him, Mum!" Tony lifts a hand and pats the ground in front of him. He places the hand down and moves on to it. His body lurches forward and he falls onto his chest. Immediately he's up and rocking again. He laughs softly and starts the process again.

Camera off.   
Camera on.

"Where are you?" sings Rose's voice from behind the camera. It scans about the living room. There is a little fat raucous giggle from behind the sofa.

"I'm coming to get you..." says Rose. Another giggle and a fluffy head pokes out.

"I see you!" The head pulls back and Rose moves to follow it. Around the corner of the sofa the camera sees a nappy clad bottom crawling away.

"You can't escape! I'm gonna get you!"

"Get! Get! Get!" says a little voice.

"What?" says Rose as the camera stops still.

"Wha..." replies the voice.

"Tony?" she says quietly.

"To.. Tony... get... et!"

"Mum! Come here quick!"

"Mum!" he repeats.

Camera off.  
Camera on.

In the hall a little figure is grasping the wall. He looks at the camera and smiles. 

"Mummy!" he says.

"Come here and get it then!" says Rose. A little hand lets go of the wall and a little foot lifts up.

"Want it!" he says clearly, holding out his hand.

"Right here... nice and mushy... mmm... lovely banana!" He takes a tentative step, momentarily letting go of the wall. He wobbles and clutches at the wall again.

"I swear he did earlier," says Mickey coming into view and crouching a few feet in front of the tot. He holds out his hands to Tony.

"Nana... banana?" asks Tony staring intently towards Rose.

"Come on then, come and get it!" she teases.

"He's too young!" This time it's Jackie who speaks, though she is off camera.

"If he's anything like his father he'll be running before he's walking!" says Mickey. At that moment Tony takes two steps into Mickeys arms and grins.

Camera off.  
Camera on.

"Where is the birthday boy?" says Pete coming in through the front door holding a large package. A toilet flushes in the background and the camera turns around to a door. It opens and Tony walks through it hoisting up his trousers.

"Time for cake?" he asks his eyes all lit up as he eyes the package.

"Time for cake," says Rose.

Camera off.  
Camera on.

A traditional birthday scene where a little boy sits at a table while the grown ups in his life sing him a happy birthday. His mother carries a cake towards him. It has one candle glowing on it and it is covered in edible silver ball-bearings. He blows out the candle triumphantly.

Camera off.

The Doctor stopped the film and sighed. He stayed sat there for a while with a small smile on his face. The TARDIS rumbles about him making the big space seem very empty.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _If vision is my only validation then I might as well not be here... Sam Sparro_

"So, you like edible ball bearings too, then?" asked the Doctor leaning down towards Tony who was sitting beside him on the stripped sofa.

"I think you'll find that the correct name for them is Dragees, and yes I do, very much. Just I'm not allowed them very often... Mum fusses about my teeth."

The Doctor caught Rose's eye over the top of his head and stifled the urge to laugh.

"He got that from you..." she smiled gently.

"That what?" they both turned to her, all eyebrows raised.

"That pompous I-know-better-than-you attitude!" she laughed. Tony gave her a withering look then turned to the Doctor.

"Now?"

"Okay... okay..." Tony jumped up and rushed for the door, pausing to look back. He stared at the Doctor who pulled himself up reluctantly and dutifully started to follow him.

"He'll have you running circles around him if you let him..." she smiled in a sing-song voice.

"Weell... I owe him."

"He's not the only one..." she murmured as he bent down and planted a kiss on her unsuspecting lips.

"Come on!" said Tony impatiently. The Doctor sighed and followed him.

**********

Rose sat and stared at the stilled image of her little boy on the screen and smiled sadly. Her thoughts strayed to the Time Lord. She wondered what he would make of the film she had put together. She really hoped it wouldn't hurt too much. She wanted to show him that it was okay. That she had been given a fantastic thing. She wanted him to be proud of them.

She thought of her own new Doctor's reaction and knew he was right. They should both know about Tony. Their son was a truly remarkable boy and seeing how proud he was, she knew that the Time Lord would be feeling the same.

***********

Tony led the Doctor to his bedroom. A little sign on the door showed his name together with a painted picture of a little blue train on it.

"Bit babyish, that..." said Tony following the Doctor's line of vision.

"What are you, forty?" muttered the Doctor under his breath. Tony opened the door and they walked in.

It wasn't a massive room by the mansion's standards but it was comfortable and had everything he needed. The bed was a small wooden affair with a dark blue cover. On closer inspection the Doctor could see that it was sprinkled with little yellow moons and stars. This set the whole tone of the bedroom.

There was a huge poster of the solar system and hanging from the ceiling a mobile replica of said solar system that lit up. The walls were covered in photograph's, poster's and hand drawn picture's. By the window there was a telescope.

The Doctor moved in to study the picture's on the wall. There was a hand drawn image of a Slitheen. It wasn't quite right but it certainly captured the feel of it, a bit terrifying but almost gentle at the same time. He glanced at the signature in the corner. Mickey.

As he looked about he noticed that there were pictures of most of the creatures that Rose and he had encountered together. 

"Uncle Mickey did that but Mum did most of them." Right by Tony's pillow on the wall there was a sketch of the TARDIS and a portrait of himself. It was a very good likeness.

"That's you," said Tony quietly. The Doctor looked at him and nodded very slightly.

"My dad?" Tony asked even more quietly.

"Yes..." said the Doctor, his throat tightening.

"And they are all true, these bed time stories? You and Mum?"

"Yes."

"She said so... won't you miss it?"

"What?"

"The TARDIS?" The Doctor looked at this little man-child and contemplated telling him the events surrounding his arrival in this world. It was hard enough being convinced of his own identity and being sure that Rose still believed in him. No. Not yet. He and Rose would explain properly when the time was right.

"I will... very much, but I want to be here with you and mummy very much too." Tony nodded accepting.

"So, will you get married then?"

"Ummm... well..." The Doctor wrung his hands over the back of his head nervously.

"Well, it's just that if you're my dad and she's my mum and you seem to like each other, I just thought..." The Doctor picked up a rock from a shelf hung on the wall by Tony's bed. Tony glanced at it, distracted.

"Lava?" asked the Doctor.

"Yes, from the Canary Isles."

"You've been there?"

"Yes, me and Mum went travelling for three months last year. It was great we might go to Australia and New Zealand this year. She's going to take me on the shuttle when I'm old enough."

"Shuttle?"

"To the moon!" Tony's eyes were like saucers. The Doctor grinned and put the lump of lava back. 

His eyes trailed across the shelf. There were lots of interesting things displayed on it. More rocks and crystals and some shells. There was the TARDIS bolt he had given him. There were also odd bits of metal that he suspected had come from other planets and concluded had come via Torchwood. 

The he saw a familiar thing. It was a scruffy old black wallet. He picked it up and looked at Tony enquiringly.

"That's your psychic paper. Mum had it on the day she got brought here. It was all she had left, she said. I know she still has her key..." The Doctor looked at Tony and knew that Rose didn't get just get left with a key and some psychic paper. She had something much more precious.

"I hope we will," he said.

"What?" said Tony looking surprised.

"Marry..." He looked thoughtfully at Tony then moved over to the impressive telescope at the window.

"And you like looking at the stars?"

"Oh yes... I want to make charts. I've started... It's just hard learning how to do it properly from books and the internet."

"Well, maybe we could do it together? I could show you how... teach you."

"You could?" Tony looked at him, his eyes rounded in awe. The Doctor nodded, that lump catching in his throat again.

He glanced out of the window. It faced on to a small private side garden that the Doctor hadn't seen before. At the bottom of it was the start of a large dense wooded copse. 

To his surprise right at the the farthest part of the garden, parked just into the trees; stood the TARDIS.


	13. Chapter 13

The Doctor couldn't believe his eyes. He was filled with both dread and horror.

"What's wrong?" asked Tony tugging at his arm. He looked down at the worried brown eyes.

"Um... nothing, it's... I've just got to go and... won't be long." He moved quickly out of Tony's room. As he got into the corridor he patted his chest feeling for his pockets searching for his sonic. Misery waved across him.

Down the stairs, two at a time and slap bang into Rose.

"Whatever's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost!" He paused, staring at her desperately, his heart ripping in his chest.

"Doctor?" She was looking very worried now.

"Rose..." His voice broke slightly.

"What is it? What's happened?" She grabbed his arm and shook it.

"In the garden... Rose, I love you..."

"I love you too... what's in the garden?"

"In the little garden below Tony's room" She moved quickly to the side entrance, yanked the door open and gazed out.

"What?" He moved behind her and stared at the TARDIS, then at her incredulously.

"Don't you see it?"

"See what? I don't know what..." Then realisation hit her, followed by relief and then a small smile. She took his shaking hand and led him out into the garden. She pulled him down to the TARDIS and turned to him and smiled.

"I'm sorry, I should have warned you about this. You poor man, you've gone grey!"

"Rose, I don't understand."

"Open it... go on!" he pushed the blue wooden door and stepped inside.

He was standing in an unfinished room that was built into the dense thicket and disguised by trees. It looked very much like the beginnings of the console room, but it had a long way to go. He swung around to face Rose.

"What?"

"It's a playroom... for Tony. Mickey and I designed it. Haven't done much for a while, not since the darkness, been on hold. Doctor? You okay?" He had sat down heavily on an abandoned work bench.

"Oh Rose..." She smiled and walked over placing her arms around his broad shoulders.

"What?" she said softly.

"I thought... I... Oh God!" Then she realised what he had been thinking.

"Oh no, Doctor, no!"

"You don't realise... I thought..."

"He's not coming back, " she said stroking his hair and soothing his brow.

"No... I thought I was going to..." He trailed off, looking at her desperately.

"Get the TARDIS back?" she offered.

"No... I thought I was going to lose you..." She stared at him computing what he was saying, then she shook her head.

"No, never again. It's you and me now. And Tony. We're a family."

"I was prepared to... you don't know what I was prepared to do to keep you and Tony."

"I'm so sorry. I didn't think. It's just because I'm so used to it being here. You looked awful, I thought someone was dead."

"I was just so..."

"Angry?"

"Sort of. I wanted to protect this... what I've got... at any cost... I would have..." She shut him up by placing her fingers over his lips.

"Sshh... that would be a perfectly natural reaction. He's not coming back. I wouldn't choose him now, any more than I would have on that beach. You understand? This is it. This is what I want... what I need." She kissed him gently and he held her as the shock subsided.

Then he looked about him and began to realise exactly what they were in.

"A playroom, you say?"

"Well... Tony needs a space. He's always fiddling about with things, making stuff. He's in love with the idea of a TARDIS, so we came up with this."

"That bit up there... it isn't right. And that needs to arch up more over towards... what?" She was smiling at him cheekily.

"Perhaps you should take over where Mickey left off?" He stared at her for a moment then stood up and wrapped his arms around her.

"I hope I'm not," he husked.

"Not what? Oh, I see. No, definitely not. Never been anyone else since you." The Doctor looked about the space thoughtfully. Then he took her hand.

"Come on. I left him in a bit of a panic... he might be anxious."

"He'll be fine, he's very resilient."

"Yes, but I think there's a little vulnerability there."

"Excuse me?" Rose stopped in her tracks.

"Well, he just seems a bit, sort of... lost..." Rose's face looked like thunder.

"Lost? No... no... I think you'll find that you were the lost one. We've been fine."

"Calm down, Rose, you don't need to get defensive with me. He's a very capable little boy, but he doesn't seem entirely happy."

"It's only that he's too bright. He isn't stimulated enough."

"Well, that will change now." At this point there was a loud yell from the house. Rose and the Doctor ran.

Inside Tony was very upset. Jackie was desperately trying to placate him.

"What's the matter?" demanded Rose of Jackie.

"Uncle Mickey is never coming back!" wailed Tony. Rose looked daggers at her mother.

"Mum! Why the hell did you tell him? I would have told him properly. You're always interfering!"

"Don't you start, Rose. He asked, I'm not gonna lie to him!"

"You should have told him to ask me!" While this heated exchange took place Tony continued to cry. He was truly bereft at the loss of Mickey. The two women began to argue heatedly and finally the Doctor could take it no longer. He scooped the weeping child into his arms and headed back outside.

Tony sobbed until the Doctor got halfway to the mock TARDIS then he stopped.

"Will I really never see Uncle Mickey ever again?" The Doctor swung through the doors and settled him onto the workbench. Then he crouched down in front him.

"Listen Tony... different universes... you can't just hop backwards and forwards from one to the other. Mickey was from that universe. He wanted to go back."

But, so is Mum and Grandma... and you! He didn't even say goodbye!"

"I think he'll be very sorry about that. He'll probably think about you every day and he'll miss you, but he needed to go back."

"He was my friend."

"Yes, and he always will be. That will never change. But, you've got me now."

"But you might want to go back one day too."

"No, never."

"How do you know that?"

"Because... I'm... I'm your... father and I'm never going to leave you..."


	14. Chapter 14

"You won't?" His tear stained face looked seriously into the Doctor's.

"Never... that's why I'm here now."

"Really?"

"Yes!" Rose clearing her throat in the doorway made him jump. He spun around, expecting her anger to be now directed at him for interfering; but she was more interested in Tony. She moved quickly and scooped him up into her arms hugging him tightly.

"I'm so sorry Tony! I should have told you straight away... just I was scared to!" She sat down on the floor and pulled him into her lap kissing his head. New tears found their way out of the little big brown eyes.

"That why you've been voiding me?" he asked.

"Avoiding, not voiding... voiding's only good for Daleks," she smiled catching the Doctor's eye.

"And Cybermen..." he murmured.

"I didn't mean to make you feel like I was avoiding you... it was a surprise to me too. I was trying to work out how to tell you properly."

"So... you haven't changed because he's here?"

"No... yes... I'm happier because he's here and you will be too..." The little boy considered this.

"I will miss Uncle Mickey, though!" he pouted.

"Oh, so will I. But he has other family over there... he wanted, needs, to be with them."

"Because of him?"

"Sort of... because he knows now you've got him and that's all you need..." Tony let this digest and then smiled cheekily.

"You'll have to get married now... you wouldn't marry Uncle Mickey because you wanted him. Now you've got him." Rose looked flustered.

"I... well..." The Doctor moved forward and sat down by his new family.

"I think he might have something there," he said.

"Don't joke about it, Doctor!" Her eyes flashed a warning at him and he returned a very confident grin.

"Mum?" 

"Yes?"

"Can we cook for tea tonight? It has been a long time."

"I don't see why not... Spaghetti Bolognaise?"

"Yeah... can we have Dalek bread?"

"Naturally!"

"And?"

"And Cinderella, of course!" Tony smiled jumped up and hugged her. Then he turned to the Doctor and shyly hugged him too.

"You wait till you try my Dalek bread! I'm going to tell Grandma!" he whooped and scampered out the door. The Doctor, who had been very moved by the hug; looked at Rose puzzled.

"Dalek bread?"

"Yeah... stems back to his baby talk. Garlic bread. What he used to call it... sort of a family joke, not very appropriate now I think of it."

"No... it's quite funny really... Cinderella?"

"Mozzerella, of course! Keep up with the program, Doctor!" she smiled and he caught her lips in a kiss.

"You that upset about Mickey?" he asked her after a while.

"He was my friend... I've known him since I was born... he was brilliant with Tony... the closest he had to a..." she stopped and bit her lip.

"Go on! You can say it... closest to a father... well, I'm here now, so he did the right thing, poor sod!"

"That's a bit heartless!"

"Sorry, trying to get my head around Mickey the idiot playing happy families with my family... for three years! A family I didn't even know I had!"

"He isn't an idiot and he did the decent thing. You've a right to feel jealous, but no right to get angry. I should have told you. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine!"

"Oh Rose, you could have said... that day on the beach!"

"Doctor, would a baby have made you break down the walls of the universes?"

"No... it's just... oh, it isn't any one's fault!" They sat holding each other for a while.

"Are you two going to stay there forever?" asked a little voice. Tony had returned to find them. They stood up and as she moved to go to the door he pulled her back and gazed into her face.

"What?" she asked with a shy smile.

"Rose Tyler... I've made a promise to myself to make up for not telling you how I felt when I had many opportunities. Now I have this second chance I'm not going to waste it. I intend to spend the rest of my days telling you how much I love you... and I do."

"Do what?" she teased, the familiar tongue poking out and tickling her teeth.

"I do love you," he smiled and kissed her.

"Yuck! Are you going to do that all the time?" asked Tony with a disgusted look on his face.

"Yes! You'd better get used to it! It's what mummies and daddies do to show that they love each other!" said the Doctor with a grin. He took Rose's hand and made a move towards Tony, but this time it was Rose who pulled him back.

"What?" he asked looking into her flushed face.

"Me too," she smiled shyly.

"You too, what?" he milked.

"I love you... always have... always will. Want the same as you Doctor!" They kissed again.

"Come on, Parents! I'm hungry!"

"Little Lord Fauntleroy is hungry," smiled the Doctor.

"We'd best go and feed him then," she answered and they left the TARDIS room to do just that.


	15. Chapter 15

"Rose?" he whispered in the darkness. There was no reply. His eager body nudged up to her and she groaned, turning away from him. He nuzzled up to her back pushing himself into her soft, naked buttocks.

"Rose?" he whispered again into her ear. He was rewarded with a gentle push back into his groin. With a grin he bought his hand around her front and grabbed her right breast, kneading it and pinching the nipple into life.

"Mmmm?" sounded Rose, stirring.

"Sssh," he soothed as he bought the hand down to her soft, hairy crevice and delved his fingers into her, searching for the little bundle that always triggered her off. Her legs parted as he rubbed her and he grinned again as he felt her getting wet.

"Doctor?" she murmured, pushing her bum further into him. He moved down a bit and pushed himself underneath her. Using the hand that had been on the wander to guide himself in, he entered her. He pushed right inside, gasping at the feel of her around him. He stayed like this for a while, placing his fingers back at her clitoris and rubbing slowly and gently on it. Rose sighed and shuddered against him and he began to slide in and out of her. She moved with him, letting her bottom meet his pelvis with each thrust.

"Harder," she breathed.

"You'll have to move over a bit then," he murmured back, continuing to push into her. She rolled onto her front, taking him with her, and then moved up onto all fours allowing him better access. He knelt up, grabbing her hips and thrusting deep inside her. She tilted her bum up and dipped her back down. He gasped at the intensity and depth of her and pushed hard into her.

"Faster," she groaned and he obliged, racing towards his climax. He let his hand trail back round to her front, meeting her own fingers touching herself. He batted them away and took over, thrusting into her fast and hard, making her call out at the urgency of it. He could feel himself going over the edge as his fingers circled her stiff little nub, willing her to join him.

Then, with a call to match hers, he came hard into her and she followed him almost immediately, all her muscles tensing and spasming against him. He pushed into her a few more times, then stopped, holding himself inside her as the throbbing subsided. He pulled out of her and she rolled onto her back and smiled up at him. He collapsed on top of her, kissing her.

"That was a nice surprise," she murmured, still half asleep.

"Just couldn't help myself," he whispered, resting on his elbows and gazing down at her. 

Her eyes suddenly grew as big as saucers. "Doctor... did you?"

"Yes, I'm wearing a condom... don't worry, I might be half human, but I'm not an idiot!" He smiled, tracing a hand across her face. Just as he lowered down to kiss her again, a little brown head appeared between their chests and grinned.

"Watcha doing?" he asked cheekily. The Doctor rolled off Rose, who sat up, pushing Tony off, and clutched the sheet to her. The smile wiped off the little boy's face as he took in the horrified looks on theirs. He jumped up and fled the room. Rose pressed her hands into her face as the Doctor jumped out of bed and started to dress quickly.

"What will you say to him?" asked Rose.

"I'm not sure, he's going to have to learn about privacy though!"

"We can't keep pushing him away!"

"We can't have him walking in on us every time we... what if he had come in five minutes before?" 

Rose clapped her hand over her mouth and tried to stifle the urge to laugh.

"Rose! It isn't funny! We could scar him for life!" But Rose was lost to hysterical laughter. And that is how he left her as he went in search of their son.

He found him back in his own bed hiding underneath the covers. "Tony?" said the Doctor gently. No reply. With a sigh, he sat down. "Come on, you took us by surprise... you got up even earlier today." The bundle of bedding moved.

"Sorry we frightened you." The bundle grunted.

"You ran off before we could explain!"

"Wasn't frightened!" mumbled the bundle.

"No? Can you stop hiding under there then?" 

 

The bundle moved as Tony pulled the blankets back and peered at the Doctor with little big brown and angry eyes. He raised an eyebrow in question and waited.

"It's hard to explain."

"So... try," he said with a shrug.

"Okay... you're a bright boy, so I'm going to try to let you understand as best and as appropriately as I can." Tony gazed at him suspiciously but said nothing.

"It's all about biology. You know how a baby is conceived? Well, that is what your mum and I were doing."

"You were making a baby?"

"No! No... no, we were practising. Making a baby is a special thing and grown ups need to practise... a lot." 

Tony digested this for a moment. "Then, why were you so shocked I was there?"

"Well, it is a very private thing between a couple. It isn't something you share with your children... one of the only things you don't share!"

"Private?" repeated Tony and the Doctor nodded. "So, I can't go in Mummy's bed any more?"

"Of course you can! Just maybe you should stay in bed till the morning unless it's really important. Then you could, maybe... knock?"

"Knock?" said Tony.

"Or whistle?" 

Tony thought about it. "You mean let you know I'm there... not surprise you?"

"Yes... exactly!"

"Okay," he said simply, with a shrug and the Doctor breathed a sigh of relief. "You did look funny, though, all naked and groaning! Did you practise a lot for me?"

"Yes!" the Doctor spluttered, feeling himself blushing. 

Tony nodded, accepting without question. Then his eyebrows knitted together. "So, is it horrible... doing all that practising?"

"No, it's okay... another way for mummies and daddies to show they love each other."

"Like kissing?"

"Yes... exactly."

"Yuk!" Tony grimaced.

"Well, you aren't an adult so you're not supposed to like the idea, not yet!"

"Kissing? With a girl? All that stuff? No way! Never ever!"

"Never say never ever." 

Tony smiled at him. "You said that to Mum once."

"I did?"

"Yep, 2012 Olympic Games... she told me."

"So I did... you enjoy all those adventures?"

"Oh, yes! Especially the Sycorax and the Slitheen!" His eyes were glowing and the Doctor smiled.

"Should put them down in writing some day," he said thoughtfully.

"Yeah! That would be brilliant!" said Tony eagerly.

"Think you could get back to sleep for a couple of hours?"

"I could read?"

"Fine... it's only three thirty, I'll be up at five thirty, okay?" Tony nodded and burrowed back down in the bed, pulling out a book from under his pillow.

Rose met him in the corridor. "Sorry... nerves got the better of me!" she said sheepishly.

"Back to bed, woman!" he ordered dramatically.

"Oh, sir, have I displeased you greatly?" she said bowing her head, but he could see the trademark grin.

"You will be severely punished for you atrocious behaviour, wench!" he exclaimed and hoisted her over his shoulder.

"Seriously though, is he alright?" she asked his bum.

"He is now... thought it was funny and gross!"

"It's your fault for waking me in the middle of the night!"

"Didn't hear you complaining, Ms Tyler!"

"Didn't get a chance!" He strode into the bedroom and flung her onto the bed. Then he jumped on top of her, paused and pulled a face.

"Whatever's the matter?" she asked with a nervous laugh.

"Well, I was in such a rush to go after him, I forgot to remove the condom and it's come off and emptied itself in my boxers!"


	16. Chapter 16

"Shopping!"

"Look, I can't keep up with this! One minute you're ultra keen, the next you're as reluctant as a eunuch in a brothel! We have to! You cannot wander around in that blue suit forever!"

"What's wrong with blue? I like blue!"

"Please... please get in touch with your inner Donna! _She_ wants to go shopping with me!"

"Fine! Shopping it is! Can Tony come? He'll ease the monotony... ha... mono Tony!"

"You really want to make life difficult, don't you?"

"No, just want our son with us... involved... not left out!"

"Fine! Whatever!" He pulled her into a quick embrace and rushed off to find Tony.

**********

"Shopping? Have you any idea what it's like shopping with Mum?" He got a picture of a far off planet a long time ago. Rose and him, wandering through a bazaar. In love and carefree. She had been pregnant even then.

"Yes, I used to. Please come, I need you!"

"Alright... as long as we can have ice-cream!"

"Course, goes without saying!"

So, here they were walking through the doors of Henricks. The heiress, the man in the blue suit and the heiress's little boy who remarkably resembled the man in the blue suit. They were attracting attention.

"Ms Tyler, can I be of assistance?" asked the store manager, wringing his hands and smiling rather too much.

"No thank you, we can manage. Just keep the press away, will you? We will be here a while." He melted away and let them get on with their business.

"What's first?" he asked, his curiosity kicking in.

"Menswear... you need... everything!"

"I only need you... and you," he nodded at Tony who rolled his eyeballs making them both chuckle. They caught the lift up to the menswear department and moved over to the underwear section.

"What do you want... boxers?" she asked.

"Rose, I don't normally wear... well any!"

"I know that, but things have changed. You can't wander about in the nude any more."

"I can!" said Tony smugly.

"That's because you're only three!"

"I'm three and three quarters actually!"

"Yeah, well you can't run around naked if I can't!"

"Stop it you two! The quicker we get this done, the quicker we can go!"

"You choose for me, Rose, you choose his."

"No, I don't."

"No, she doesn't." The Doctor picked up a couple of multi packs and slung them on the counter.

"Beige y-fronts, size extra large? Are they for the future you?" asked Rose with amusement.

"Oh, for goodness sake!" He glared at her crossly and put them back. Rose sighed and picked up some plain black and white boxers in his size. A mental image of him wearing them flickered inside her brain and she grinned. He saw something in her face and studied her, puzzled.

"Come on, socks!" she said marching them off in the direction of the sock display.

And so they began. Rose had had to do this before. The last time it had been her and her mother. She was broken and frightened, preparing to have a baby on her own. Her mother was disorientated and bewildered. Pete and Mickey had gently helped them through it until Jackie was enjoying herself. Rose hadn't mustered any enthusiasm at all and picked a wardrobe for necessity, not want.

The Doctor started to relax when they got to the suit department. He made a beeline to a brown pin striped affair and turned to her with a grin. Her face dropped.

"What do you reckon?" he asked, not as confidently.

"I reckon you should wear whatever you feel comfortable in."

"New, new, new Doctor?"

"Yeah, maybe you should be more varied?" Tony jumped up and down and clambered into the depths of a denim island.

"Jeans are good!" he said in a muffled voice. The Doctor glanced down at the blue denim legs poking out and pulled them up. Lifting Tony up onto his shoulders, he grinned.

"So, you want us to match, Mini-Me?"

"Yep!" 

"Okay, jeans it is! I haven't worn jeans since... well, since my last face!" Rose looked at him with a shy smile.

"Oh ho! You like the idea, don't you?"

"I like a nice bum in a pair of well fitted jeans!"

"Miss him?"

"A bit, sometimes, yeah. Is that wrong?"

"No, God, no! I think I'd be disappointed if you didn't. We are all the same really. Him, him and me!"

"Dad, when can we have our ice cream?" asked Tony from above. The Doctor pulled him down, his face blazing with emotion.

"Alright mate, we are going to be a while, but that doesn't mean we can't have some fun along the way. Listen, you go with George here and find me an outfit... anything... and I have to put it on, okay?"

"Yeah... you're on!" said Tony racing off with the shop assistant that had been helping them. George didn't mind, the couple were really nice and he knew he would be well rewarded, Tyler's always tipped generously.

"He just called you Dad!" said Rose amazed.

"Yeah, don't think he realised, though."

"But, that's amazing! It's only been a few days!"

"Well, the way I see it, he's got to call me something." She looked at him thoughtfully.

"I suppose you're right."

"I need a name, Rose."

"Yeah."

"A real, human name... a name that we can share. A family name." Rose nodded, sensing the seriousness of his words.

"Jeans first, okay? We're moving very fast here!"

"Always running... that's so us!"

"Yeah, well maybe it's time to slow down a bit?"

"Stop and smell the roses?" he smiled.

"Mmm... short life... gone in a blink!"

"Don't blink then!" She giggled as Tony emerged dragging a gorilla costume in his wake.

"Where did you find that?"

"Fancy dress department, just down there!" said Tony, grinning proudly.

"Really?" He looked at Rose also grinning, from ear to ear.

"No! We have to get you some clothes!"

"Please, Rose! It would be great for him!"

"Him? Just for him?"

"Come on... there's always time for a montage!"

"Oh for goodness sake, go! I'll choose you some things, but I want you back here to be fitted for a couple of suits and I'd like to get you in some jeans!"

"Really? I'd like to get you out of yours!" he retorted, waggling his eyebrows as he grabbed Tony's hand and hoisted the gorilla suit over his shoulder. 

Rose watched them hastily retreating with a huge smile on her face. Then, with a contented sigh; she turned back to the waiting staff and got on with the job in hand.


	17. Chapter 17

"What are you up to?" asked Rose standing beside the bed that night in a short pink nightie that did little to the imagination and much to his libido. He was sat up in bed with a pad of paper and a Biro. He looked up at her over the top of his specs and induced the same response in her as she got from him in her nightie.

"Up to? I'm not up to anything... I was just playing around with a few ideas. It's really important... choosing a name... I'm going to have to live with this forever!"

"You... are?" She climbed in beside him.

"Alright... sorry... we are!"

"Well, have you come up with anything good?"

"I have had a few ideas. Tell me what you think. William was the first that sprang to mind."

"William... like Shakespeare? Bill... yes I could see you being a Bill."

"I forgot about Shakespeare! No, perhaps not. A brilliant mind, but a bit of a philanderer!"

"Met him, have you... don't answer that! Of course you have! What else?"

"Patrick? No? Jon?"

"Now, that is what I would have expected you to plump for, you always went as John Smith, well most of the time!"

"I did, but I'm not that man... no. He wasn't real. I want to be real."

"Okay... not John then, what else have you got?"

"Tom," he said quietly, thinking hard.

"Well, that's a good solid name. I could get used to Tom."

"There is a connection with Martha."

"And?"

"Well, fancied me, did that one."

"Oh? Think there are a few things you might have to fill me in on? What has Tom to do with Martha?"

"Well, she got engaged to a doctor... his name is Tom." Rose contemplated this for just a moment.

"What else have you got on your list?"

"Peter?"

"That's my dad! I couldn't get used to that at all! You, having the same name as your father-in-law! That would be weird!"

"Colin?"

"No way! I went out with a boy in sixth year called Colin. He was such an oddball! He really had issues!"

"I quite like... Sylvester," he said quietly.

"You are not a cat! Nor are you anything like Stallone!"

"Paul? Too ordinary? Christopher?"

"Oh, I like that! Yes, I could get by with a Christopher!" she said a bit over-enthusiastically.

"I'm not sure I feel right about that!" he replied looking a bit ruffled.

"Come on! There are so many names!" She sidled over to him resting her cold toes on his legs, making him twitch.

"David?"

"You don't even look like a David!"

"Well, I'm a bit stuck... we haven't even gone on to surnames yet!"

"Just think of all those wonderful people you have travelled with! Someone must jump out at you!"

"You do!" he said turning to her and rolling on top of her.

"Now you're getting side tracked!"

"Worth it, though!" he said searching her face through the lenses of his glasses.

"You have no idea what those do to me, do you?"

"Oh, I beg to differ... little Miss bundle of hormones that you are!"

"I swear you do it on purpose!"

"Do what?"

"Look at me... like that... in those!"

"Rose, we are in bed. It is allowed... shall I take them off?"

"No! No... take off everything else... leave the Specs of Sex on!"

"The what of what?"

"Just a nickname I gave them ages ago! They work every time!"

"I'll remember that next time we're in Asda!"

"You will not!" Rose wriggled out from under him, sat up and pulled her nightie over her head. Then she flung it across the room.

"They work that well?"

"Oh yes! Come on... off!" He pulled off his new white t-shirt and wriggled out of his boxers.

"You can name my specs but you can't name me?"

"Oh, I can name you... you just can't name yourself!" She straddled him and slipped onto him, enjoying the widening of his eyes enhanced by the glass.

"What do you name me, then?" he gasped as she began to slide up and down.

"Doctor!" she whispered as he began to move with her. Their hands were locked together above his head.

"Not a name... a title!" he managed.

"Good enough before!"

"Different now!"

"Yeah?"

"Yes!" Then all words were left for a while save the few moans of the names they had always given each other. And always would.

**********

When they lay wrapped and sated in each others arms he spoke up again.

"There was this lad... he was brave. He had something Timelord about him... something a bit powerful in a way... often think about him. He was at a school I was teaching in. He helped me."

"What was he called?"

"Timothy."

"Well... I like that. Oh! I just had an idea!"

"What?"

"Well, you are a Timelord, right?"

"In part. Where are you going with this?"

"Tim is like time, yeah? What if you called yourself Tim Lord? Is that too corny?" He sat and thought about it rolling the name around in his head and then a smile broke out across his face.

"I like it! I keep hold of my grass roots and it's a really good name as well!"

"Really?"

"Yes! Rose it's brilliant! Can't you see yourself as Rose Lord? And Tony? Tony Lord?"

"Is that some kind of proposal?"

"Oh yes! It is! Rose marry me... promise yourself to me forever in public, please!"

"Just like that?"

"Well... yeah... I will have a name now! I can give you and Tony a name!"

"So, I just give up being who I am just like that? It would be different if you had been that name all your life!"

"You don't like it?"

"No, I do, but you had a name you were given when you were born, just as I did. That is the name one tends to share in a promise like that."

"That name... it isn't my name, though." Rose nodded, but he could read the hurt in her eyes.

"You really want to know it?"

"Not if it costs you too much."

"Rose... it isn't that! I want to remove myself from it! It just represents a part of me I no longer need to dwell on! Timothy Lord is enough!" Rose was sitting in bed looking straight ahead by now, her mouth curling into a pout. He grinned and moved towards her.

"No worries!" she murmured, drawing away from him. He merely leaned further in and whispered into her ear. She stilled and then turned to him, tears beginning to form in her brown eyes. She stared at him amazed.

"Are you okay, Rose?" he asked, a look of concern furrowing on his brow.

"Yeah... sorry... I shouldn't have put you in that position."

"It's fine... really, you should know everything about me... my friends used to call me Theta as a nickname... much more agreeable!"

"Mind if I just stick with Doctor?"

"As long as you are my wife I don't mind what you call me!"


	18. Chapter 18

The Doctor had rummaged through the DVD and found lots of ordinary day to day things, but there were specific bits that he kept going back to when he got overly-thoughtful about it all. 

He had just left Jackson, Rosita and Freddie. He had had a pleasant evening and enjoyed some roast goose and Christmas pudding. His hand strayed to the drive player and he absent-mindedly pressed play.

Camera on.

There's a little boy sitting at the top of a hill concentrating on a brightly coloured kite that's lying in the grass beside him. Mickey comes into shot and crouches down.

"Want some help, mate?" he asks, touching the little boy's shoulder.

"I'm quite capable!" Mickey turns to the camera with a shrug and a small grin.

"Don't be cheeky, Tony!" says Rose's voice from behind the camera.

Tony glances at the camera and then back at Mickey.

"Sorry, Mickey... t's just, if you tie the knots like this and let the tails out like that the aerodynamics will displace themselves much more evenly." There's a snicker from behind the camera.

"Shall we give it a whirl?"

"You hold it... I'll run!"

"Please!" Rose's voice again.

"Please, Mickey." As the little boy runs down the hill the kite takes to the air soaring high. A large dog takes off after him. A huge, scruffy Irish wolfhound.

"Go steady, Rusty!" shouts Rose as Mickey turns and approaches the camera. He has a solemn look on his face.

"Problem?"

"Two years old! What are you gonna do, Rose?"

"What do you mean?"

"Two! He's super-intelligent! I'm worried he ain't gonna fit in! We need to find out what's on offer!"

"Mickey, it's like you said, he's two. There's plenty of time! I'm still filming here... they're coming back!" The camera pans down the hill. Tony is sitting on top of the dog, the kite twirling and weaving in the air above them.

"Let me film, you's two!" says Mickey and the camera joggles and Rose appears. Her blonde hair is blowing all over her face but the camera captures the Tyler trademark grin as she observes her son and dog approaching them. Then her face drops and she looks to the sky a little seriously.

"There's a storm on it's way... we'd better head home."

Camera off.  
Camera on.

"I don't want to!"

"It's a good idea... you'll make friends."

"I won't... you know I won't!"

"Why do you think that?"

"Because the place is full of babies! You cannot have an interesting conversation on any level with them! Even the adults are dull, if only easy to manipulate! And don't get me started on the facilities! No real books... limited access to the internet and all those useless toys! All I do there is draw and I can do that here!" He gets up and leaves the room in a huff. A sigh comes from behind the camera.

"That's nursery finished with, then!"

Camera off.  
Camera on.

The mansion gardens. Tony and Rose are playing with the dog on the lawn. Rose is throwing a ball and the dog and Tony are racing for it. His little legs almost fly at his impressive speed.

"Just like his dad!" says Mickey's voice from beside the camera.

"Yeah, poor bugger!" Jackie, this time.

The dog and the boy end up in a heap on the floor with Rose in stitches watching them. Then she runs to join them.

"He's asking more and more now." Jackie's voice is strained.

"I know... I'm running out of answers!"

"Oh, he'll be alright... he's so bright! Education and careers will never be a problem and he can wrap anyone around his little finger!" says Jackie brightly.

"Yeah, like I said... just like his dad!"

Camera off.  
Camera on.

"And he sang a song and the Daleks' disappeared... that's it for tonight, I'm bushed!"

"But did you?"

"What?"

"Go back and save Jack?"

"Tony, you know this... Jack was dead!"

"Are you sure? Did you check?" They are in Tony's room and Rose is cuddled up in bed with him. The camera has obviously been positioned to film the bedtime routine.

"Nothing could have survived that."

"You did... he might have changed, but you did. Why not Jack?" Rose looks at him thoughtfully.

"Okay... if he managed to survive that then he would have made it back to his own time. He was a very resourceful man, Jack!"

"And all in the past tense?" She reaches up and tweaks his nose.

"Okay, clever clogs... he will be!" She tickles him and then cuddles him tightly.

Camera off.  
Camera on.

Head shot of Rose.

"Autism!" she almost shouts at the camera, angry tears threatening.

"He's not even three and they've suggested just because he's different that there's something wrong! Have him tested for Asperger's Syndrome! He doesn't mix within his peer group! It could be a result of his "very adult environment", was the suggestion! He's too bright! Too bright? That's it, I'm done with health visitors! _This_ is when I need you, Doctor!"

Camera off.  
Camera on.

It's a birthday party. Balloons, banners, candles and cake. There is no sign of Tony, but from the angle of the camera you can guess where he is.

"So how many went out today?" The camera has focused on Rose talking to Pete.

"Thousands... beginning to be uncountable... there's just a sort of... darkness left behind."

"We're going to have to move up to London, Dad. I need to be going out as much as possible. You know he's our only chance!"

"Rose, it's dangerous, you have... responsibilities!"

"There'll be nothing here for him if we don't find..." She stops seeing the camera is on them.

"Find?" asks the little voice from behind the camera.

"Hello, birthday boy! Are you pleased with the telescope? Was it the right one?"

"Yep... find who?"

"No one... you shouldn't listen in on other peoples conversations, Tony!"

"You gonna find him?"

"We have to try." She kneels down and the camera moves very slightly up and down.

"Tell him..." He stops, his little voice cracking.

"Yes, Tony?"

"Tell him "hello", will you... tell him about me?"

"Why don't you tell him yourself?" She reaches forward and takes the camera from him. The picture wobbles and then focuses on a very serious little face. He says nothing for a while, just stares at the screen.

"Hello, I'm Tony...Tony Tyler. I'm three today. All my life I have listened to stories about you. I listen to what other people say about me. You are my missing piece... and my mum's too." His eyes fill up.

"That'll do,Tony," says Rose softly.

Camera off.  
Camera on.

Rose's face.

"I'm coming to find you, Doctor. We need your help. I'm bringing this footage of our son with me. I think you have a right to know about him. I'm sorry if it cuts deep at times. Mostly, we're very happy. We have each other. I just know it would be so much more with you."

Camera off.

The disc is finished. The Doctor gets up from the pilot seat and takes it from the drive. He places it gently into it's case and slowly stores it away in his breast pocket. He sits back down and nods very slightly. The TARDIS echoes around him.


	19. Chapter 19

“What happened to the dog?” he asked as he pulled Rose onto his lap and buried his face into her hair.

“Rusty? Oh… he’s in kennels. Dad put him there when he heard you were coming back with us.” He paused and then pulled back his head to look at her.

“Why? Why would he do that?”

“Well… Rusty is a bit… um, territorial.”

“Yeah?”

“He might not like the idea of your being here.”

“I don’t understand, he didn't mind Mickey!”

“Yeah, well he was Mickey’s dog at first and he sort of adopted me… sort of fell in love with me.” Rose hung her head sheepishly.

“Oh God! I'm rid of Mickey and now I have to compete with his great big… what breed is he?”

“Wolfhound… Irish wolfhound. Not compete, never have to compete with anyone. It’s just he does tend to give male visitors a hard time and I wanted us all to settle in and introduce him gradually.”

“Two points. First, been plenty of male visitors here have there? And second, this is his family, he’ll resent me all the more if I keep him from it!”

“Male visitors as in Dad’s associates and Torchwood people! You don’t need some great huge head case of a dog snarling at you while you’re acclimatising!”

“I think we should go and get him and bring him home! He’ll just have to grin and bear it!”

“Growl and bear it more like!”

“Rose, if he’s part of this family then it must be important to Tony for him to be around!”

“Well, yeah, he misses him. Okay, whatever you say. Tomorrow, we’ll get him tomorrow.”

“No, Rose, I think we should get him now. No more disruptions. It was hard enough for Tony to lose Mickey… let’s get his dog back!”

“I suppose you’re right. He has been pining. The kennels rang earlier. He tried to escape and he’s not eating. Been howling at night too!” Rose moved to get up with a resigned sigh but the Doctor pulled her back.

“You’ll never have to worry about him now, you know? He’s never going to feel so isolated again. I can give him everything that was lacking.”

“I know...” Tears were brimming.

“I'm sorry that you had to go through all that alone. I can take over his education and intellectual needs from here. He was right, I am his missing piece and he is mine.”

“Yeah, that sort of makes me feel spare in a way.” She said this so quietly that he didn't compute what she had said at first.

“Spare? Rose Tyler you’re the most important woman in his life. Ever. No one can compare. We’re now complete. You have so much to offer Tony, stuff I couldn't dare to pretend to give him! We all need each other equally!” 

“It’s what I want… it’s just we've managed on our own for so long, change is scary. I fell threatened by it.”

“Change is good. We can progress onto something better!”

“And you want that loopy dog as part of it?”

“It isn't about want, Rose. This is his home. Dogs are people too. It matters.”

“I have missed him...”

“Well then, call the kennels and I’ll go and find Tony.”

**********

The drive out to the kennels wasn't long and the Doctor drove the country lanes sensibly. Tony was very excited about bringing Rusty home and sat in the back talking non stop with Rose trying to keep up.

“Yes, not far… yes, Rusty’s going to have a big surprise… I'm sure he’ll grow to accept the Doctor, eventually!” It wasn't long before they were pulling into the grounds of the old farm buildings.

Rose got out first and went to let Tony out of his seat, As he climbed down he started to call.

There was a tall wire fence around a small enclosure and a lone grey dog was standing, ears pricked, looking longingly at their car. As soon as he heard Tony he let out a baleful howl and backed away from the fence.

“Rusty… no!” said Rose trying to sound commanding. The dog took a running jump and cleared the high fence, his target in sight. The Doctor jumped out of the car and started to run around to Rose. Too late, the huge creature reached her first and with a flying leap he bowled her to the ground whining and licking her face furiously.

“Get off, you stupid dog!” she shrieked, her legs furiously kicking underneath him. Tony sat down by her head and wrapped his arms around the dogs neck, a look of pure joy on his face.

The Doctor was torn between laughter and rescue but just remained standing and observing them. Rose pushed hard and sat up glaring at him.

“A little help?” she said.

“Don’t want to interfere with such a touching reunion!” he grinned. The dog’s tongue had moved onto Tony gently and passionately licking his face. His shaggy tail was wagging furiously and ecstatic little noises were emitting from his throat.

“Rusty, stop it!” shouted Rose pushing his face away and standing up. All the while the dog was sniffing and whining and pushing at them both.

The kennel owners and hands were out by now all laughing at their wayward charge.

Having piled a large disgruntled dog into the boot, they started their journey home. The Doctor had decided to keep some distance between them while Rusty got used to him.

Back at the mansion they let the excited dog out of the car and he proceeded to make his rounds checking that all was as he left it when they so rudely took him away.

He ran around the house, flattened Jackie, drank from the downstairs loo and then he caught sight of the Doctor standing by his family in his house. He bared his teeth, a nasty snarling growl coming from him.

“Now, Rusty,” began Rose, but the Doctor took her hand and squeezed it. He stood his ground keeping eye contact with the dog who continued to glare with hostility for quite some time until Jackie told him in no uncertain terms to back off then she took him into the utility room, fed him and returned shutting the door firmly behind her.

“You were warned. It would have been better for you two to become acquainted away from here.”

“I'm sure you’ll look after me just fine!” said the Doctor acidly. At this point Rusty began to scratch and whine at the door.

“I don’t want you to shut him out! He’ll just have to get used to me!”

“Alright, sit down then and don’t go challenging him… he’s very confused!” 

“I'm not surprised!” muttered the Doctor.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Rose defensively and all eyes were turned to the Doctor.

“Well… he’s obviously got a complex. Where exactly does he fit in? Mickey was supposed to own him, then there’s you Rose, he sees you as what, a partner? Tony as a sibling and then there’s good old Jackie Tyler, the matriarch! Lord knows what Pete’s role is! Then when you can’t cope with a change in circumstances you go and shove him into the equivalent of dog prison!”

“Oi, less of the old!” squeaked Jackie.

“And now I'm going to find it even harder to win over this new member of my strange family than I have my own son!” he walked to the door and opened it letting out the upset dog. He loped past the Doctor quietly growling at him.

“Now, I’ll get to know this dog in my own way. I don’t need your help or your interference, okay?”

“Yes, Doctor,” mumbled Jackie and Rose as one. Tony was staring at him, his face glowing with pride.

“Can I help, though?” he asked placing his little hand into the Doctor’s large one. The Doctor bent down to Tony’s eye-level.

“This is something that we need to sort out by ourselves. Man to dog. If you get involved then I’ll have to let everyone be involved! Then it will take longer!”

“I suppose...” he replied in a small voice and the Doctor met Rose’s eyes. She gave her head a little shake.

“But, I suppose…” The little-big eyes blinked hopefully at him, “I suppose I could use a hand from someone who knows him well.” Tony grinned and hugged the Doctor.

“When do we begin?”


	20. Chapter 20

It was within days that the Doctor had Rusty literally eating out of his hand.

“Aniseed!” he had exclaimed and set about the noisy and difficult task of winning over the huge canine.

Watching from their bedroom window early one morning a few days later, Rose was enthralled. The Doctor and Tony were playing a very energetic game of fetch the ball with the dog. The two boys took it in turns to throw the ball, while the other raced the dog to retrieve it.

Rusty seemed perfectly at ease with the Doctor, his tail was flapping happily and every so often he would sound out a long, joyous bark.

Rose smiled as she observed the Doctor talking to Tony. The little big eyes were fixed intently on his father’s face as he absorbed all he was being told. Then, all of a sudden, he picked the little boy up and swung him onto his shoulders. Then they turned towards the house.

Rusty remained standing, ears pricked and ball at his feet; waiting. The Doctor turned back to him and, even through the thick Georgian glass, Rose heard the long low whistle. The dog trotted to his side obediently and the three entered the house.

She stayed at the window for a long while with a silly smile adorning her beatific face. A sense of security was washing over her.

**********

Later on that day Rose was in the TARDIS playhouse garden with Tony. The Doctor was watching unseen from the French windows. He had been working on the playhouse for the best part of the day and while he was working he had been thinking hard.

He laughed as Tony bowled Rose over and jumped on top of her, tickling.

“She seems so much better,” said a voice at his side, making him jump.

“Pete, I didn't hear you come in!”

“No… you were absorbed in them. Seriously, though, I've never seen her happier!”

“Yeah? Well, that goes for me too. Actually I can’t quite believe my luck!”

“I'm glad you see it like that. From what Rose had said, I think she’s worried you might get bored being grounded?”

“Bored? Oh no! I've been travelling around for hundreds of years. This... this is something I never believed I could have. It’s wonderful! A gift! I want to see my son grow and be there for him, always!”

“And that’s very commendable… I can empathise. I never believed that I could be a father and then Rose came into my life. We understand what we are and what we aren't to one another, and in your absence we became very close. We are amazingly alike. Jackie found that quite a revelation!”

“Well, that’s good isn't it?”

“Oh yes! She is as close to a daughter as I could get and I know her very well.”

“What are you trying to say Pete?”

“You are welcome here, Doctor, stay as long as you want… forever, really! But bear in mind this, Rose hasn't travelled for hundreds of years. She loved her work at Torchwood. You gave her the taste for it and then she was cut from it suddenly. She didn't plan to have a family this early. She loves Tony, don’t misread me, but she might get bored being grounded.”

“I see what you’re saying, Pete, really I do, but she knows that I would never stop her from doing whatever she wants!”

“True, but she might never have the courage to say that this isn't enough.”

“I see what you mean. It is enough for me, is that wrong?”

“Not at all! Lord knows I would love you to join the Torchwood team! But, I completely respect whatever decision you come to. Tony is an extraordinary child and he definitely needs you. I hope we can call on you for advice from time to time?”

“Goes without saying. You’re a great father, Pete. Rose loves you, you know that? If she does go back to Torchwood, you know that I will hold you responsible if any harm comes to her?”

“You and Jackie, both!”

**********

It was much later on when Rose joined him in the TARDIS room that he broached the subject of their future.

“You seem to be spending a great deal of time out here… I saw what you ordered for it! It’s going to be a little more than a playhouse, isn't it? What have you got in mind?”

“Sit down, I want to talk to you? Where’s Tony?”

“Bed, he was actually worn out… all that exercise with Rusty, I think!” She sat down on the bench that had been moved in to the room and rested her legs on the beginnings of the main console in the centre of the room. He turned to her with a smile. The light was fading and a vague glow from the trees and the sunset lit up the room. He could have been with her on their old TARDIS anywhere in the universe. He grinned and sat down taking her hand.

“I want to discuss our future.”

“Oh? Now that sounds ominous!”

“It’s just that I wanted to know how you see our little family progressing?”

“You’re getting bored? I knew it!”

“No, Rose, I could never get bored, no... no... no! I'm the happiest man in existence. It’s you I am concerned about.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you. I am happy to spend the rest of my life with you and Tony... I know exactly how I would like this to be, but I think you need to live a little longer in that fast lane.”

“Without you?”

“No, I will always be right here for you.”

“Tell me how you see it.”

“Honestly? Okay, I want to live here, right here in this strange place. I can build it into a home. I don’t want to move away from your mum and dad. We are all family and that is important to all of us. But we need our own space. I have a few Timelord tricks up my sleeve. I can make this something very special.” Rose thought for a while and then nodded gently.

“Okay… a little cottage built into the woods… very eco! I could get used to that!”

“I want you to return to work.”

“What? Don’t you want me around?”

“Yes, of course I do! But I want you stimulated and happy! I want to stay here and educate our children and build us a proper home.”

“Children?”

“Yes, I really don’t know how you feel about all this, but Tony needs siblings… if you aren't prepared to have more babies, then I respect that. I would have to. But it isn't what I really want for our son.”

“Me either! Are you saying that you want me to go to work and you stay at home and look after the children?”

“Yes. Of course you would have to take time off during your pregnancy and the post- natal stuff, but yes.”

“But wouldn't you worry about me? I mean it isn't the safest job in the world!”

“Of course I would! But I don’t want you to get bored of what we have... and you might... and if you did you would resent it and that would break me!”

“When were you thinking of having another?”

“As soon as possible really… I don’t want the age gap to be too big!”

“Tell me exactly how you see it, please.”

“We need to get married. I want to redesign this place and build it to my own specifications. Then I want us to have another baby.”

“And then? Doctor, don’t you think you might get bored too?”

“Well, Pete has asked me to be on hand at any time.”

“Dad’s said something to you?”

“Only pointed out the obvious! I have other plans.”

“What would they be?”

“When our home is complete and while we are building our family I intend to write.”

“What?”

“It was Tony that gave me the idea. All those adventures! Oh Rose we all have a story to tell. I want to write down the adventure that was my life. I want our children and our children’s children to know their heritage!”

“But that could take you the rest of your life!”

“And that I have, Rose… that I have!”


	21. Chapter 21

It had taken nearly three months of mind-numbing, brain killing planning. Jackie Tyler had been in her element and Rose had come very close to grabbing him and Tony and running. But, they had made it and there he stood at the top of the aisle of a pretty little church in the local village.

It was supposed to have been a quiet, understated affair, but certain people who were in charge of organising it had got carried away.

The media were hovering as staff from Torchwood barricaded the area and the whole community were lining the streets. 

As Rose walked through the country lanes, little girls, whose names she didn't know scattered Rose petals of yellow and pink at her feet. 

The Doctor was waiting inside and didn't see Rose’s face, a picture of embarrassment, fury and excitement all rolled into one. Pete told him about it before they left on their honeymoon, he was strolling along beside her proud to be giving her away.

Tony stood beside his father just as proud to be his daddy’s best man. He was dressed in a proper morning suit, the Doctor putting his foot down about Tuxedos and insisting that they follow proper tradition.

They looked magnificent standing together. Father and son.

He was bouncing on the balls of his feet, he knew. Couldn't stop as he glanced down at the little and big pairs of grey and white Converses that Jackie had bought them as a surprise. He could hardly contain himself and then the music started and time stood still as Rose moved slowly towards him with a great big silly grin spread right across her pink face.

As she took her place beside him, and Pete fell back to stand by a weeping Jackie; he leaned over and whispered to her.

“You look beautiful!” She turned to him and poked her tongue between her teeth.

“For a human?” She shot back at him with a slow, secret smile.

When he was asked later how it went, he was surprised that he couldn't really remember. Oh, he knew what was said, knew what lines had been fluffed, knew the exact moment that Rose and he were properly wed; but trying to remember how he felt was like a hazy blur.

They sat in the marquee in the Mansion gardens, speeches all done and Tony having received a standing ovation for his.

He was introduced to all Rose’s friends and colleagues and found that they were all pretty much a likeable bunch. He mingled well and Rose felt a huge weight lift from her. She had been worried that he might never make friends in this dimension.

As he took her in his arms and commenced the first dance, a dance that they had been painstakingly been rehearsing for weeks it suddenly clicked in and he remembered his moves.

She laughed as he whirled her around and finally pulled her in close for a slow dance.

“I love you Mrs Lord,” he said softly as everything in the room seemed to disappear, leaving them in their own bubble.

“Yeah, I love you too, Doctor Lord!” she replied cheekily and he bent to kiss her.

“Was it as bad as you thought?” he asked after a while

“Still a little like pulling teeth!” she said with a laugh.

“Weeell… like pulling teeth but with really effective anaesthetic!”

“Yes… I can’t wait to leave, though!” His face clouded over and he glanced towards Tony who was carefully dancing with his grandmother.

“He’ll be fine! Mum and Pete are brilliant with him! Honestly three weeks isn't too long!”

“Oh, I know… but I'm going to miss him!”

“Me too, but honeymoons are for grown ups. He told me so himself! He said that he has no desire to come with us at all. He’s looking forward to our trip next year.”

“That’s if we can travel!”

“You really believe I'll get pregnant that easily?”

“Absolutely! Your body is ripe for it, my sweet, and I have very superior sperm! Oh yes, and we are going to try so very much… the odds are very good!”

“It’s gonna be fun!” Her eyes sparkled with mischief.

“It’s gonna be… fantastic!” 

“Three weeks uninterrupted non-stop…” Her words were interrupted by the arrival of Pete at her side cutting in for the father’s dance.

“May I?” he said taking Rose’s arm.

“You’re supposed to dance with Mum now!”

“Really? Oh, good grief!” 

Jackie smiled as he danced rather woodenly with her.

“Come on, you! Lighten up! I know I've been a bit of a monster of late, but I really am so glad that you were the one to marry my Rose! I know how happy you've made her. I couldn't wish for better!”

“Really?” He stopped dancing and stood in front of her with the disbelief etched across his face.

“Yes… you’re the best thing for her and I've come to care for you almost as much as I do her for all you've given her. She's so happy and Tony too, he’s so much better now you’re here! It’s made it all worthwhile, having you here.”

“I'm almost speechless, Jackie. Never thought you’d approve of me! You will take care of my son while we’re away?”

“Guard him with my life, as always!” She pushed him back into the dance.

“You’re an incredible woman, Jackie!”

“Shut up!”

“Seriously… you really are! There aren't many women who’d accept a nine hundred year old alien as a son-in-law!”

“Well, there’s the thing… see, I don’t quite see it like that. I don’t see you as the cradle snatcher in this scenario, rather the opposite!”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Well, you ain't even a year old yet are you, not technically?”

“Oi!”

“Well, it’s all irrelevant, isn't it? Love is what matters and you two so obviously do!”

“Truly, madly and deeply.”

“She’s right, though, you can border on cheesy! Don’t change that, ever!”

“Not sure if that’s a compliment or not!”

“Me? Compliment you? Do yourself a favour go and dance with your wife before the whole of Torchwood exhaust her!”

He turned to see the bride surrounded by athletic looking types all hoping to get a dance with her before they left for their honeymoon.

“Ah, see that’s the trouble with having the best looking woman in the room!”

“Yep, definitely cheesy! Oh yes, and Pete’s told me what you’re planning for the honeymoon. I haven’t said anything until now because I trust you. I know that you wouldn't do anything that you didn't think was safe especially with Tony here?”

“Jackie, I promise it’s safe. I already tested it. Do you know what it will mean to Rose?”

“Yes, that’s why it’s going ahead! Just make sure all the proper measures are in place.”

“I wouldn't do it if I thought there was any danger.”

“I know, things can, and often do; go wrong, though!”

“You can phone at any time!”

“Doctor, you're going on your honeymoon! I would only ring if it were an emergency! I just want you to remember the promise you gave me all that time ago, okay?”

“Still, and it always will; stands!”

“And she still has no idea?”

“Nope, thinks we’re going to the Caribbean!”

“I hope she won’t be disappointed!”

“Jackie… this IS Rose we’re talking about!”

“Yeah.”

“Yes!”


	22. Chapter 22

“So, where are we going, exactly?” She moved right beside him in the back of the limo, clutching his hand in the darkness.

The lights of the mansion were fading, as were the calls of the well-wishers who had waved them off.

“Somewhere different.”

“So, somewhere we've never been?”

“Well, in a way… yes... I have been on the other universe.”

“Come on... put me out of my misery… I haven’t even been involved in packing!”

“It’s a honey moon, Rose… what would you possibly need on that?” Even though it was pitch black in the car, she could sense his eyebrows moving about suggestively.

“Well, it depends what you have in mind and how many people are about!”

“Oh, there won’t be anyone, just us… I have plenty in mind, Rose!”

“Now you’re beginning to make it sound like a dirty week away… it is supposed to be romantic as well!”

“Rose… I am a cultured and sensitive person… I am not an airhead who thinks about sex all the time… well, admittedly it does take up a large proportion of my time, but look at you… you do it on purpose, always have!”

“Doctor?”

“Sorry, got carried away… thing is, when I was looking at Torchwood, well, when Pete asked if I wanted to go and work there, he gave me access to the files so I could get my bearings. There were one or two things that caught my eye.”

“Yeah?”

“In the other universe they were working… UNIT, that is, were working on something called Project Indigo. It had been someone who was in the Sontaran clear up’s brainchild.”

“Yeah, I did see something, but it was abandoned. Pete said it was too dangerous and that the technology involved was indecipherable.”

“Weell… yes, without me it made no sense. Part of the puzzle was missing. I asked Pete last month if I could have it as a project of my own.”

“Project Doctor?”

“Yep… Project Honey Moon, actually.”

“So, what did you, where did you, when did you?”

“We've been working from a laboratory near by... looks like a barn.”

“We?”

“Yes… I don’t know if you know about the base in space?”

“The satellite base?”

“No, Rose, on the moon… well actually under the moon. Started out as an observation base, with a view to it becoming a kind of port base when space travel becomes the norm. And there is a group of scientists here who are working on it day and night. A family used to live on the observation base, actually.”

“I do know this, they were all bought in to work on the dimension cannon. I thought they had abandoned further probes into outer space?”

“Had. Then I got a bright idea. I wanted to take you somewhere unusual, somewhere quiet where we wouldn't be disturbed. Somewhere beautiful and romantic.”

“The Moon? I mean, I thought it was just a big old rock? And, wouldn't it take weeks to get there?”

“Ah, yes… but as I mentioned before… Project Indigo.” The limo had pulled up at some big gates that swung open automatically at their approach. Rose saw a farm house at the end of the drive. 

“What, you've been working on something behind my back?”

“As my wedding present to you, Rose. I wanted to take you to the Moon. As soon as I saw the photos of the living quarters there, I knew it was perfect.”

“But, isn't this irresponsible? What about Tony?”

“I knew it would be safe… I wouldn't do anything to jeopardise our family, you know that. Besides, I tested it!”

“You did what?” Rose’s voice was sharp and cutting as the limo pulled up outside a big steel barn.

“Only out to The Valiant and straight back, then a couple of nearby satellites… nothing dangerous. It’s a rush… quite tiring, but completely and utterly safe!”

“But… why did you have to keep it from me?” Her voice wasn't exactly angry, but there was little joy or excitement in her words. The doors slid open and they walked into a very clean laboratory. Two of Torchwood's most eccentric and brilliant scientist’s greeted them with a tiny applause.

“Because… because, Rose, I didn't want to get your hopes up. I wanted to show you that it is entirely possible to travel in different ways. I can do it. I wanted to show you that even though I am planning to step out of the whole alien-chasing-defending-the-universe-unless-absolutely-necessary thing, that we can still find ways to explore the universe. I wanted to make sure it was working first”

“So, you mean like for holidays… like tourists?”

“Yes… really that’s all we ever were… just bumped into an awful lot of trouble.”

“And the... family?”

“Have their grandparents while they are too young to come with us.”

“And it works?”

“Rose!” She was staring at the apparatus in the centre of the room. It was like the Dimension Cannon in that it was surrounded by mirrors. In the centre of the circle stood a strange bubble. Inside the bubble was a bench similar to the sort of seat that you would sit in on a roller coaster ride.

“We really are going to travel to the Moon?”

“If you want.” His eyes were fixed on her as she took it all in and, as her smile spread across her face, so did his.

“Now?”

“Yep! We have to get changed first.”

“Where’s our luggage?”

“Told you, we don’t need anything at all!”

“Doctor, you aren't gonna stick me in a space suit for the next three weeks, are you?”

“No, Rose. Everything we need has been sent on. We just need to go!”

“Okay.”

“Yes… just like that?”

“Of course just like that, what did you expect?” She grinned at him and he pulled her into an embrace that embarrassed the two team members who had been waiting for Rose’s consent.

It took a while to change into the skin tight suit. It was black rubber and clung to every single curve of her body leaving very little to the imagination.

“Did you design this?” she demanded as she came back out of her dressing room. She was left speechless as she observed the Doctor also in skin-tight black rubber.

“Yes, I know, it’s a bit revealing, but we needed the suit to be as close to the form as possible while still protecting it.” His eyes danced up and down her body with much amusement and interest.

“What about our heads?” He produced a hood made of the same material and pulled it right over his head. All she could see were his eyes. He looked like some kind of alien sex beast and she stifled the urge to laugh at him. He handed her own hood and then placed a bubble on top of his head. He looked like he was wearing a goldfish bowl.

“Alright?” His voice echoed inside the bowl. She stepped forward and kissed the glass reflecting an action from way back. 

“I’ll see you on the Moon!” Then she too, donned a goldfish bowl and they took hands and stepped into the bubble. The bubble was sealed and they strapped themselves in.

The countdown echoed around them and then, without any more warning, Rose felt her stomach left behind as they were ripped into a vortex of swirling colours and lights.


	23. Chapter 23

A whooshing, whirring feeling ran through her body and she felt as if her brain was being squeezed and as if there was no air in her lungs. As quickly as they had de-materialised, they materialised into the foyer of an underground dwelling. The ceiling was domed and the light that they blinked in was muted and unfamiliar to her.

“Okay?” he asked as he undid their harnesses, removed their helmets and head gear, then pulled her into her his arms.

“Yeah… bit heady! Wow, you weren't kidding!”

“It will be worth it… gets easier as you get used to it, though!”

“Yeah… have to take your word for it, won’t I? It’s hot, didn't expect that!”

“This rubber will have warmed up considerably… quicker we get out of it the better!” He stood up and held out his hand.

“Really? Disappointing… I was quite enjoying the view!” Her eyes flickered to the black rubber bulge that was right in front of her

“Rose!” She grinned and stood up taking his hand. He led her to a doorway and opened the door by stroking his hand to a panel and beckoned her in. She turned back to see him admiring her bottom as he walked behind her. 

“Oi!” His eyes flickered up to her face and back down again.

“Just admiring my view!” He grinned. Indeed, Rose’s curvaceous backside was very becoming in the black rubber. Every movement sent a fiery message to his tightening groin.

“Cheeky!” 

“Quite!” he responded rather quickly and a little breathily. 

As they came to the main entrance of the living quarters the doors locked and sealed behind them. He placed his hand against the panel and, as the door slid open; he picked her up in his arms and carried her inside.

“I'm sure this is supposed to happen as we return home from honeymoon!” she protested, gripping onto the rubber as they slid against one another.

“Want to get you inside as quickly as possible… time for bed Mrs Tyler! Imagine, me... saying that?”

“Yeah, like you were taking my mum to bed!”

“Euw… don’t… just don’t ever say anything like that again!” He carried her hastily through the main living quarters and straight up a long corridor.

“I would like to see!” she protested weakly, but knew that he was a man on a mission.

They entered a room with a huge round bed right in the centre of it. It was covered in rose petals. The Doctor launched Rose onto the bed and stood in front of her panting slightly. Her eyes roamed his body hungrily taking in the contours of his now very large erection.

“Umm… how are we going to get these off?” Her words tailed off as he moved quickly onto the bed and let his hands run all over the rubber surface of her body. 

Kneeling beside her he cupped both her breasts marvelling at the prominent peaks poking and straining at the shiny, elastic surface. His hands stroked downwards and she felt the rubber become sticky between her legs. His fingers grazed her sex, pressing at the rubber so that it caused friction against her clit. She gasped and bucked, making him smile.

He continued to put pressure on her and started a gentle rhythm and she, in turn; reached out and stroked the rubber material in front of her. She could feel every bump, every ridge, every detail as he pushed into her cupping hand.

Just as she felt she was about to let go, he stopped abruptly and grabbed the rubber at her neck line. He bent down and kissed her thoroughly, then pulled back and looked fondly into her eyes.

“Symbolic moment, this… saying goodbye to the rubber!” He ripped the thin layer away from her and watched gleefully as her naked flesh popped and yielded to the open air.

“Oh! Game on!” she squeaked, sitting up and pulling at his suit. It fell open and they continued to peel away at each other until they were completely shed of their black rubber skins.

He paused, watching her with hooded eyes, making the moment last as long as possible. Then they were upon each other, the passion furious and unleashed. The first time they had been able to really let go since they had been reunited.

Their bodies were still slick from the sheen of sweat that had got caught between skin and rubber, and as they fought for control over each other they slid tantalisingly against each other.

“Need you now… right now!” She shouted and he pushed her forcefully on to the bed and entered her in one quick movement. Thrusting hard ,she called out loudly and threshed underneath him, raising her hips up to meet each powerful and frantic shove.

Over and over their bodies pushed against one another and Rose began to gasp words of passion, crude words and words of love all inter-mingled with one another until they made no sense and were simply feral noises. Her hair stuck to her forehead as she fought for their ultimate completion.

He was trying to hold back, but the sight of this woman beneath him so completely given to him in every possible way and the magnitude of their promises and what they hoped this coupling would do was too much for him and it wasn't long before he started to ride the wave that she was on.

Their climaxes came together with renewed shouts and thrusting almost to the point of violence, they went to a high that they hadn't experienced since their days together on board the TARDIS.

He fell on top of her kissing and laughing and panting all at once. When he had softened inside her, he rolled off and lay on his side facing her. She turned to him and grinned happily.

“There’s nothing like space travel to get the blood racing!” she laughed huskily.

“You’re so beautiful when you let go of your inhibitions, Rose… I mean you’re beautiful without, but I think I am going to have to consider a sound proofed room within our new house. One with a lock. Tony will understand!”

“That could be the problem, the fact that he understands so much!”

“He does, doesn't mean what we do is wrong… it’s healthy for him to know we do… shows that we are a properly functioning unit!”

“I know… just awkward for me!”

“Sound proofed bedroom will do the trick. Tony will know the rules!”

“Okay… that’s your department, though!”

“Rose, you have to be prepared to answer any questions that might pop up, particularly if this mission is successful!”

“Mission? Wow, that sounds so romantic!”

“You know what I mean… we _are_ hoping to conceive here, aren't we?”

“Yep… that’s the idea and have a lot of fun doing it!”

“That was a good start!”

“Fantastic! Need a shower and then I’d like to have a look round, that’s if you’re ever gonna let me out of bed?”

“Tempting as it is to keep you here for the entire three weeks, I agree, a shower would be good. This rubber residue sort of irritates!”

“Yeah, it gets itchy as the skin dries! We ripped them… will we be alright getting back?”

“Oh yes! There are plenty of spares!”

“Really?” She sat up grinning at him, a little thought bubble practically visible above her head.

“Oh yes… always come prepared! Why, what did you have in mind?”

“Oh, nothing, it was just very sexy!”

“Shower, Tyler, before I do keep you here for the entire three weeks!”

“Are you gonna come with me?”

“Again and again!” He pulled her back down and kissed her with renewed passion.


	24. Chapter 24

“Where are my clothes?” asked Rose as she dried herself off after a very extended and enthusiastically shared shower.

“Clothes? Why would you need clothes?” he replied innocently as he ran the soft towelling over his flushed body.

“Doctor… you did bring clothes?”

“Some… in the case.” He nodded towards a small holdall that sat beside the door. She looked at him nonplussed and then bent down and unzipped it. He watched her bent over and grinned happily at the view. Her hand dug about and produced a few scraps of lacy underwear in various stereo typical colours.

“This is it?” She stood up, holding a black and red Basque out to him.

“It’s not good?” His face had dropped slightly as he questioned her. 

She bent again and pulled out a white baby doll nightie with matching knickers. “Doctor… is this really the extent of your imagination?” She held the sheer material against her breasts. It was completely see-through.

“Tip of the ice-berg,” he muttered as he moved towards her. She jumped out of his reach and sighed resignedly. Then she dressed in the outfit very slowly. His eyes were popping out as she smoothed the material across her skin.

“You are becoming more and more human every day!” His eyes darted up to her face and followed her out of the room. They moved down the corridor together. She glanced down at him.

“No sexy little numbers for you, then?” He looked down at himself bobbing about and then looked back at her sheepishly. Simultaneously, they burst into laughter.

“Think I might have got a little carried away on the honeymoon websites… seriously though, you look completely edible in that and it's so warm here, we don’t really need to wear a stitch!”

“Speechless… you really are just going to have sex with me for the next three weeks?”

“Oh, yes! But… only if you want!” He said the last as an afterthought and smiled a little unsurely at her. She returned the smile wryly with a tiny shake of her head and looked at the corridor they were walking down.

“This is odd… it feels like I've been here before.”

“I know… the design of this place is amazing… wait till you see the observation deck!” They continued on for a while, the grating slapping against their naked feet. Then they turned into the main structure of the burrow.

It was a large round room with a big, circular desk at the centre of it. The domed roof was supported by six huge struts around the room in alternate and symmetrical places. The roof itself was made of some kind of extra thick strong glass and looked out upon space and thousands of miles away, the planet Earth, almost glimmered out to them.

“It’s so like… I mean... how?”

“Alien design… TARDISes were the Ferrari of the travelling world, you get so many imitations everywhere… even on an alternate Moon. I love it… feel right at home here! What do you think?” He turned to her with a raised eyebrow. She looked out at Space and the Earth and then back to her naked Doctor. She seemed to be almost glowing and the white nightie merely added to the illusion. Her face broke into a manic grin.

“Fantastic!” she replied and he covered the distance between them, pulling her in to his already excited body. She kissed him back with renewed passion. His hands roamed across the delicate material and she yielded to him wrapping her legs around his waist as he lifted her up and sat her on the desk in the centre of the room.

“Gonna have me on the console, Doctor?” she giggled, but her voice soon changed into a whimper as his fingers found their way around the gusset of white scanty knickers.

“Oh, yes… it has been such a long time since I did, Rose Tyler, think we can act out a few here?” He lowered himself to his knees without losing eye contact. She watched him with bated breath as he pulled her knees apart. She gasped as his long, pink tongue found its way into the material. He pulled back and shook his head. Then he removed her knickers and continued. Rose lay back and let herself go. 

It could have been anywhere and with anyone of the three men that were the same man, but this was how it should be. Rose Tyler and the Doctor... together.

It was during this honeymoon on the Moon that they conceived their daughter, whom they named Luna.


	25. Chapter 25

Rose pulled up at the mansion, the gravel crunching on the wide tyres of the dark blue 4x4 the Doctor had chosen with her on their return from the moon. She got out wearily and stretched her aching muscles, then, pulling a bag from the boot; she walked around the house and into the little garden that Tony’s bedroom looked out upon.

When she got within sight of the familiar building, she stopped and observed the sight before her tired eyes.

The Doctor had recruited a small team of builders, hand picked so that he could trust them and their abilities; and they had been hard at it.

The trees that had concealed what was once a playhouse, were now carefully tied back to reveal the building that was going on underneath. The scaffolding stood slightly above the tree tops and her husband was on top of it. He worked diligently, oblivious to the fact that she was there watching him.

He had a hammer in his hand and moved around the top of that scaffold quickly, tapping here and there, concentrating and occasionally smiling down at the little head that stood beside him. 

She flashed to a memory in her mind’s eye, one where the Doctor danced around the console and smiled at her in the same way. Her heart ached sometimes when she was caught off-balance, but her husband had taught her that that was as it should be.

Quickly enough, she was pulled back into this reality as she watched him. The evening was warm and he had removed his top. He had filled out quite a bit since becoming part human and, because he was working so hard on their new home; he was muscular and fit. Her groin stirred as he flexed without knowing. 

Really, she seemed to have got worse since the return from their honeymoon, she could hardly concentrate at work and came home early most nights. Rose Tyler couldn't bear to be away from her Doctor for too long.

Her eyes moved down to the little head beside him. She could see that he also had a hammer and was taking instruction from his father with ease and ability. She could see the pleasure that the Doctor derived from this and her heart joined the rest of her body in a surge of pride and need.

It was then that her husband’s eyes flickered over to the place where she stood, sensing her there and what was going on inside her head. His face broke into a cheeky grin as he understood only too well exactly what she was thinking about. He spoke to Tony, who turned and waved happily at his mother. 

They started to descend and she entered the blue wooden double doors as they made it down the scaffold.

The room that Mickey had started on was hardly recognisable, as if the Doctor had come along and wiped away everything Mickey and stamped him self upon it. Some things never changed.

Tony ran and jumped into her arms, he was also bare-chested and sticky from an excess of sun cream, a layer of dirt and specks of saw dust sticking to him.

“Aren't you supposed to wear hard hats when you are on site?” she asked ruffling his unruly hair and catching the Doctor’s eyes from behind him.

“Safe as houses up there!” he muttered and moved forward to kiss her. Tony skipped away to a strut in the corner and began to swing, observing his parents embrace.

“Oh, for goodness sake! You two are always kissing!” he muttered as he swung right over and rolled through his arms in a somersault. The Doctor grinned at Rose.

“Jealous? Does Tony want a nice big smackeroo too?” he teased moving towards him and puckering up. Tony was fast on his feet as he took off.

“Completely disgusting and inappropriate, father!” he called back as he left the double doors and headed for the house to see what food was on offer for tea.

“Well, that got rid of him… now I can say hello to my wife properly!” he grinned down at her and pulled her into a much deeper kiss.

“Doctor, you’re all dirty and I have my work clothes on… and we can’t, not here, Tony could come back any moment!” she gasped pulling back.

“I know, still cannot resist… felt you thinking about it from up there. Actually, I seemed to get a lot from up there… picked up Mickey thoughts too… missing him?”

“Yes, but not in that way… never in that way… he was my friend… still hurts that he didn't even look back. I thought he was fond of Tony. Now, it’s as if he never existed.” The Doctor nodded, the moment now gone.

“Well, no one’s been near his room in months, Rose, for all we know, he might have known he wasn’t coming back and left something.”

“Yeah… Mum can’t bear it… he was always like a son to her, you know… she was his safety when he was growing up... he was always round ours.” The Doctor nodded his understanding.

“Well, I could go and sort it out for her… say that I need to see if he has left something regarding the build? That’s feasible, right?”

“Yes… there’s nothing left of him in here, though.”

“The thought is… I have had to change it because the structure is much bigger now.”

“I know… don’t get me wrong… I still wouldn't have it any other way… you must have people that you miss in your life too?” 

An image flashed through his head… bright auburn hair and an indignant look upon her face, “you want to mate?” It was still painful and took his breath away.

“Yes, there are many. But you and Tony are the most important to me now. How are you feeling? You look a little peaky.”

“I'm so tired… it was a long day. They sorted out the new holding cells today… moved the occupants from the old ones. Had a Weevil running around the basements for a while.”

“They really should find an alternative for this, they can’t just keep capturing them and locking them up!”

“They're dangerous… we have no alternative! I mean, if you think you have the solution, by all means come and help!” He looked thoughtfully at her.

“I might very well give it some serious thought.” The sarcastic look lifted from her face and one of relief replaced it.

“Really?”

“Yes, really… but for now, you need a long hot soak, so come on wife of mine… get thee indoors!”

“Oooo, sir… you make me blush with you talk of bathing and wifery… and you smelling so strong an’ all!” She joked, but ran when she saw the look on his face. He was after her in a flash and they ran into the kitchen laughing.

Jackie was placing a plate of pasta in front of her grandson and looked up with a sniff.

“Big kids! I think your son is more mature than the pair of you sometimes!” she exclaimed, but there was an underlying tone of happiness that reflected their own.

“Mother-in-law of mine… I will be showering henceforth and then shall devour the wares you set ‘pon the table!”

“Cheeky sod! Mother-in-law! Get on with it!” She shooed the pair of them out of the kitchen and continued to fuss over her grandchild.

 

*********************

Rose stretched in the deep, hot bath. There were so many bubbles that all that could be seen was her face and her stomach protruding from the water.

“Am I getting fat?” she asked stroking her belly. The Doctor was parading around their bathroom naked and turned to her in surprise.

“No! You’re fantastic!” he answered automatically.

“But, I mean, you've put on weight since you got here… in a good way… it stands to reason that I would too!” He knelt down by the side of the bath and grinned at her.

“No, you are not getting fat… but you are putting on weight… in a good way…. the best!”

“What? Now you’re talking in riddles!”

“Work isn't what's tiring you, Rose.”

“Nope… still don’t…”

“Our mission to the moon, Rose? It was successful… we’re pregnant!”


	26. Chapter 26

“So romantically put! Are you sure? I mean, really? I was so, so sick with Tony. I haven’t felt anything but tired!”

“Rose, I'm completely positive that you are, I've been sensing the change in your hormones for days. I was waiting for you to say something.” Rose looked at him with an almost shy expression.

“A baby… together?” She sat up quickly, rivulets of water and bubbles running down her slightly swollen breasts. His eyes flickered down, momentarily distracted by them and then back up with a smug self-satisfied grin.

“Oh yes!” He pulled her closer to him, wrapping his long arms around her naked body.

“Doctor?”

“Yes?”

“Can you say hello to your wife properly now?”

“Oh, but Rose, you’re all naked and wet and Tony is about twenty rooms away!” he teased. She pulled herself out of the bath and stood above him with the water cascading down her body, she could see the effect that she was having on him. He stood up in more ways than one as she stepped out of the bath and walked past him.

“Suit yourself!” she quipped, her tongue poking the edge of her mouth and that cheeky grin curling her full lips. He let out a grunt and moved towards her swiftly. Throwing her slippery body over his shoulder, he took her to the bed and threw her down upon it.

“Careful, mate... I am in a rather delicate condition!” she said with a giggle.

“Strong as an ox, you!” he said gruffly as he climbed onto the bed and moved over her with a low growl.

“Aren't they male?” she said with a gasp as she felt his knees splay her wet thighs open.

“Could hardly call you a cow, could I?” He nudged his body at her and rested on his elbows looking into her face.

“I suppose not.” She could feel him pressing against her but he remained poised at her entrance as if contemplating something. “Umm… are you going to?”

“Is this how you want it, Rose? A quickie... or do you want to drag it out a bit… not often we have each other alone like this?”

“A quickie? For goodness sake… that’s hardly the bedroom talk a lover of your calibre should be using!”

He pulled himself up onto his arms and tipped himself into her entrance.

“But sometimes, isn't it nice to just go at it?” The look that accompanied this comment made Rose’s insides turn to something akin to molten lava and it must have showed in her face judging by the confident smile that he gave her. He slid a little further in, stretching her with his straining width. She let out a low groan. “Tell me what you want, Rose… what you really, really want!”

“I want… I want… I want you… inside me now!” He didn't need to hear any more than that as he shoved himself fully into her. She gasped at the size of him and pulled her legs around his waist. 

Her breath caught as he started to move at a very urgent pace. It was like he was making love to her for the first time, or for the last time. He obviously needed to celebrate the news in the most feral of ways. He was claiming his woman. He would probably beat his chest on completion.

Rose’s legs unwrapped and she opened her legs wider to accommodate his forceful shoving. She could feel herself building as he kissed her, letting his silver tongue dart into her mouth.

The lovemaking was almost frantic as they went to battle for their climaxes. Her hips rising and falling with him and their animal grunts quietly filling the room.

“Rose?” he whispered into her ear, begging for her to meet him as he felt himself losing all control. The urgency in his voice was her undoing and she screamed out loud as she exploded into her own climax taking him completely and utterly with her.

He moved in and out of her a few more times as he finished and she slowly came back down. Then he fell beside her laughing lowly.

“Still got it?” he asked, yes, he might just have well be beating his chest.

“Hope nobody heard?” said Rose rolling into him. He pulled a sheet over them and kissed her head.

“Doesn't matter, we _are_ still newly weds, really, I mean it’s expected, isn't it?”

“I'll be glad when you finish off the… what do I call it? What shall we call it?”

“I don’t know… I mean it isn't a TARDIS, but it is based on her… I thought maybe something like Tardis Cottage?”

“Is it a cottage, though? I mean it’s going to be hidden in the trees like a hide!”

“Tardis Hide?”

“Tardis Keep?”

“Tardis Nook? Oh, I quite like that!”

“It’s up to you, Rose, I name it Tardis, you can finish it!”

“It’s gonna be our home, we should name it together.”

“We will, we will.” He leant over and kissed her just as the door swung open. Tony stood in the door way looking a little sullen. Rose and the Doctor sat up clutching the sheets to their naked bodies.

“Tony, love, you know you’re supposed to knock!” said Rose breezily with a small smile.

“I did, you didn't hear. Grandma says that your supper is ready and could you come down before it gets cold?”

“We’re on our way!” said the Doctor. Tony gave them both a withering look.

“I would think she would rather you were dressed when you do go down. Honestly, now that you're going to have a baby, Mum, I don’t understand why you have to keep on with all the practising?” And with that, he turned on his heel and left them open-mouthed and staring at the door.


	27. Chapter 27

“How?” Rose asked, turning to the Doctor, who had got out of bed and was dressing rapidly. He smiled broadly at his naked Rose, hesitating slightly.

“He’s his father’s son, sweetness; of course he’s going to know… I mean, it’s bloody obvious to anyone with even a little Time Lord blood running through their veins!” As he spoke, he was buttoning his shirt and enjoying the vision of his nude, confused and open-mouthed wife.

“Bloody hell! How unfair is this? I'm onto such a non-starter here! You lot are always going to be ahead of me… as he gets older I'm gonna get left behind like the stupid ape that I am!” She pouted and folded her arms under her breasts, making him smile all the more despite himself.

“Oh, Rose, don’t be silly! You are intuitive in an entirely different way! You have a different logic and that is going to be so important when she is born!”

“She, Doctor?” Rose blinked a little too quickly.

“Oh, yes, sorry… yes, she… we’re having a daughter!”

“No nice little surprises coming my way at all? No little joyful secrets… she’s a girl. I suppose you know exactly when she’s coming, what we’ll call her?” He started to answer her and then caught the look upon her face.

“You aren't happy she’s a girl?” His face had dropped, wiping the smug grin he’d been wearing since he had dropped the bombshell. Rose moved swiftly, sitting up and pulling the pillow from behind her head. She hit him hard, knocking him off balance and got to her knees in a flash attacking him with great force and emitting frustrated screeches as she pounded him with the heavy pillow.

He regained himself swiftly and launched himself towards her, disarming her and pinning her struggling to the bed, his body atop of her.

Her movement was frantic as she demonstrated her fury and he grinned again as she writhed underneath him. A stream of expletives and insults poured from her mouth. Kissing her stemmed the flow and she stared hard at him when he pulled back, her chest rising between them and her wrists caught in his big hands above her head.

“Rose Marion Tyler-Lord! As I live and breath! You. Chose. Me! With all the added extras, however exasperating you might find them! Sorry, but that’s me and if I open my big mouth before putting myself into gear, well, that’s who I am! Deal with it”

“For Christ’s sake! I just would have liked to have done this properly! Just for once couldn't we have done normal?”

“Normal, us? How dull would that be?” he released her hands, but made no move to get off her. She pulled her arms together and rubbed at her wrists.

“I would have liked to find out together, you know? Equal and balanced!” she muttered petulantly with a full and rather distracting pout.

“You want me to lie? Want me to hide it all away? Oh, Rose, I can’t start pretending again!”

“Of course I don’t want you to lie! It’s just… Oh, bollocks! Never mind!” He pulled her downcast chin up to meet his face, his eyes were soft and a little dewy.

“Rose, I'm sorry that I let you know like that, sorry that our son has inherited my fantastical senses and I'm sorry that I let slip about Luna.”

“What?”

“What?”

“What. Did. You. Say?”

“Um… which part? I was apologizing for my superior senses and for passing them on to… ”

“No, not that… the last bit… Luna?”

“Oh!” Oh no… that’s not what… I don’t see… Rose it’s just what I have been calling her up here when I refer to her to myself!” He tapped the side of his head to demonstrate.

“Luna?”

“The moon… Harry Potter on my mind… we can call her whatever we like?”

“I just thought you knew… ”

“No… I don’t see timelines, Rose, I can’t see what is to be any more” he said this almost sadly, as if he were admitting a fault within himself, but he regained his composure quickly and continued, “I like Isobel, or Phoebe, or… oh, there’s so much choice!”

“There you go again, running ahead of yourself!” He rolled off her and she sat up with a grunt, but there was a glimmer of a smile turning up the corner of her mouth.

“Luna?” she asked again, almost teasing.

“It’s a beautiful name! Rolls off the tongue so well! Listen… Tony Tyler and Luna Lord! I love it!”

“I rather think that Tony will be taking the Lord part of it too!”

“Oh, yes! But we will never drop the Tyler, will we?”

“You'd better not!”

“So, we’re friends again, then?”

“Friends? Oh, friends can have disagreements, Doctor, doesn't stop them being friends!”

“Okay, but the next time you get angry like this with me, can you possibly time it to before I'm dressed, there are some interesting possibilities that ran through my head during all that, I can tell you!”

“Oh? So a little bit of material is stopping you now, then, Time Lord?” He turned and grinned at her, showing a full set of teeth and splitting his face in two.

“What about food?”

“Hungry for other stuff now!”

“Tony?”

“He’ll be walking Rusty with Dad by now… better for him to let off steam… are you truing to wriggle out of sex, Doctor?”

“Wriggle out? Oh, no! One wriggles into it, not out!” He stood up and began to slowly undress again, not taking his eyes off Rose who stretched out lazily like a cat with a smug look on her face.

“I love being married to you… I can’t actually believe my luck! A year ago… six months even… I had Tony but… I was so sad… I never even knew that happiness like this actually existed, I thought it was myth!” A shadow flickered across the Doctor’s face.

“But, Rose, you had a duty to our son and it worries me to think that you couldn't give him everything in my absence!”

“I was there for him. I've given him more love, more attention; than any mum I've ever known! He’s had his problems and I have tried my best to compensate for what was lacking! Our bond together is strong!”

“I know… it’s just, I have to look at it from a human point of view now. If something did happen to either one of us… if one of us got ill, or had an accident… don’t look at me like that; the other one of us would have to continue for our children. It would be awful, but we have to offer them the best and happiest life we possibly can!”

“I know that! I really do… but being without you again… it doesn't bear thinking about!” She put her arms out to him and wiggled her fingers beckoning him to her. He moved into her and she folded him into a desperate embrace. “So serious… happiness, anger, happiness and sadness all rolled up together!”

“Yes, that’s us!” he sighed into her neck, sending a shiver course down her spine.

“You’n me’n Tony and… Luna and whoever else comes along! We are gonna be a happy family… we've had our share of sad! This is it… our fantastic life!”

“Yeah?”

“Oh, yes… absolutely!”

“Sound like a plan.”

“And a good one too!”

“Right, but if anything… "

“Hush… I promise, okay? But it won’t, it mustn't! We have to take extra special care of ourselves now and that’s that!” He kissed her fully on the lips and she responded enthusiastically.

“Did I tell you that I love you today?” he asked softly, pulling back and staring seriously into her eyes.

“Nope, I don’t believe you did yet!”

“I love you, Rose Tyler.”

“Lord.”

“Rose Lord.”

“Quite right too… now show me how much!” The lovemaking reached a new height. The intensity of emotion that they had uncovered in their heated discussion uncovering a new depth that had them weeping as they reached their climaxes as one unit.

It was about an hour later that he left her sleeping in their bed and nipped up the landing and onto the separate little steps that had been the entrance to Mickey’s room.

He glanced up and down the corridor and silently let himself into the poorly lit and rather bleak place.


	28. Chapter 28

Tony was in a better frame of mind by the morning, chatting nine to the dozen about the work on the TARDIS house, the Doctor answering patiently and Rose looking on happily.

Jackie frowned again, observing her daughter and wondering what it was she had missed. She looked very calm, almost serene as she watched her son and her husband animated in their conversation.

“She’s happy,” she told herself, shrugging, but the niggle wouldn't go away. Something didn't quite add up. Rose got up and pulled her jacket from the back of the chair and the Doctor’s eyes flicked over to her, a small frown formed on his lips and his eyes glanced down to her belly and then back to her face.

“You going to work so early, sweetheart?” asked Jackie automatically, fascinated by whatever it was she was observing. Tony’s head swung around and he bit his lip, his face taking on the same expression as his father’s.

“Yep, I have a few things to do this morning; I won’t be doing a full day, though. I was hoping to hitch a lift in with Dad, but he was gone really early.”

“Yes, there was some kind of swarm in last night. It was dealt with, but there is an awful lot of cleaning up to do.” The Doctor’s face showed little interest in what Jackie was saying and Rose looked at him oddly. Tony, on the other hand, was enraptured by the information and started to fire questions at his grandmother.

“Tony, love, I don’t know! You’ll have to ask Mum or Grandad when they get back tonight!” she finally said, exasperated.

“Mum, oh, she won’t be involved. Clear up can be messy and infectious, no, that would be a bad idea, wouldn't it, Mum?” Rose’s mouth opened and closed and Tony turned to his father. “Dad?” 

The Doctor felt himself nod and looked to Rose in exasperation.

“Something’s not right,” said Jackie, looking at Rose, a worried expression crossing her face.

“Isn't it?” asked Tony, and now he looked worried as he looked at Rose anew.

“Everything’s fine… good grief… Mum, I am fine, suffering from having two men in my life who are just a little too clever at times, but I am healthy… strong as an ox!” The Doctor said nothing, but the grin had returned. She looked at him and shook her head. “Shut up!” she hissed, but anyone could see that she was on the verge of laughter,

“Something you’re not telling me, children?” All heads turned to Jackie, a glimmer in her eye, her hands resting on her hips and a dawning realisation appearing on her face.

“Mum, it's early days… I was only told yesterday!” said Rose, looking exasperatedly at the Doctor. 

“A baby? Together? No running off to other universes? You’re going to do it properly this time?” A pained expression crossed three faces and Rose sat back down again and took her son’s hand.

“Jackie doesn't always have a way with words… she just means thank God that Daddy’s here this time!” Tony looked at her, amused.

“Oh yes, I do agree, else how would the baby be there?” He pointed a finger towards her stomach and grinned, mirroring his fathers expression exactly. The Doctor laughed out loud, Jackie burst into tears and Rose jumped up to hug her.

“We planned it, mum, we wanted to close the age gap between siblings, had to act quickly on it!” 

“I'm not crying because I'm sad, you daft thing! I'm crying because I'm so bloody happy! Remember the last time I found out? Remember?” A dark look crossed Rose’s face and she nodded and shook her head at Jackie very slightly. Tony didn't appear to notice this exchange, but the Doctor did. His interest was sparked, but he didn't ask. Not yet.

“Congratulations! All three of you! Oh, my goodness… so much to organise… when’s it due?” Jackie squeezed her daughter and began to run away in her head. 

“We don’t know…” said Rose.

“June the twenty first…” said the Doctor at the same time and she glared at him for a moment. Then smiled again with a shrug. Tony was looking at his mother’s stomach with interest.

“Isn't it a little dangerous?” he piped up, interrupting his grandmother’s flow.

“What, sweetie?” asked Rose, bending down and fixing him with her dark eyes.

“You chasing aliens and stuff… you‘re going to work and you have a baby… my… my… sister… inside you and you are risking her and you? I have wondered this for a while, Mum, but it does seem to be a little… bit of a gamble, doesn't it?” Rose glanced at the Doctor, who smiled and leant back in his chair, his hands folding behind his head and a smug look fixed upon his face. Rose glared at him and then switched back to Tony.

“I haven’t really had time to think about it Tony, I really wasn't expecting to get pregnant so quickly…”

“You've been practising enough!” he interrupted and this time both Jackie and the Doctor snorted.

“I will say this, though, I never took any risks with you. All that time and I never chased an alien, not once. Even when I went back to work I never went out on the really bad jobs, not like Mickey. I knew that I had to come home to you. The biggest risk I took was going to find the Doctor when the universe was at stake. If I hadn't we would have all died. You know that. Besides, I had to get your Daddy home, didn't I?” There followed a long silence as every one digested what Rose had said. It was a charged silence, an emotional silence and it was Tony who broke it.

“But, now Dad’s here, you're still going to work?”

“I'm going in this morning to arrange myself into a new position… your poor mum is going to install herself into the admin and research side… I took myself off the field as of last night. I have to go and tell your grandfather today. I doubt I will ever be chasing monsters again!” She let out a slightly wistful sigh at the end of this speech, and the Doctor looked at her, cocking his head.

“Bloody good job an’ all!” huffed Jackie, and Tony nodded his satisfaction.

“I'm sure we can fill your time with wonderful things Rose… it wasn't always about chasing monsters, was it?” The Doctor asked and she shook her head.

“Nah… you know it wasn't!” she grinned as the memories of the days they spent floating in the vortex stuck in bed flooded through her. She kissed her family and left to tell her team that she had succumbed to the domestic they had all said she would.

“So, the builders are here, are we going to join them?” asked Tony eagerly, moving on to the most important thing in his life at that moment.

“We have to walk Rusty first, Tony, you know the rules!” he answered, breaking out of his thoughts and standing up. Rusty heard his name and pulled himself up to standing, shaking himself out of the position he had been patiently waiting in.

Jackie watched them disappearing over the hills from the kitchen window. She sighed happily. Rose would love having a daughter. It would be enough, she knew it would. It had to be. A tear escaped her as she realised that Tony had said that he was having a sister. She was going to have a grandaughter. A girl! And her, only just over forty!


	29. Chapter 29

The Doctor was under the console when she got there. He was so distracted by the job in hand that he didn't hear the gasp that left her lips when she saw her surroundings and it wasn't until Tony spoke that he realised she was there.

“It’s really quite a simple equation once it’s explained,” he heard his son say and he pulled himself up to see his wife’s white face. Their eyes met and he smiled shyly at her.

“Not too nostalgic?” he asked and then rushed towards her as she wobbled and swooned. Tony pulled the workbench over to her and she sat down heavily.

“How?” she whispered.

“How what, Rose, it was me who designed the last interior?”

“No, Doctor, this place is huge, what have you done? How have you done it?”

“Rose, it's Time Lord science… what, think I’m not capable of Time Lord science?”

“No, it's just… you never said…” She took the glass of water that Tony had wandered off (Lord only knew where) to get for her and she sipped greedily.

“I just needed to get the dimensions right… it was all wrong the way it was… short of tearing all Mickey’s work out and digging out the whole wood, this was my only solution. As soon as I started fiddling with the equations, Tony cottoned on and voila!” Tony grinned proudly beside his father.

“How big is it, exactly?” she whispered.

“How big? Well, that’s not a proper question, Rose! Not where trans-dimensional science is concerned! The question is… how big do you want it to be?” There was a long silence and then Rose got up and started to walk down the grated corridors with the Doctor and Tony following close behind.

“It will just keep on growing, Mum; she is now like a living matter. We just have to indicate our needs and it will be supplied.” Rose stopped and looked down at her overly-intelligent son and then at the Doctor.

“How can this be? I mean, I’m no rocket-scientist, but even I learnt that a TARDIS needs to be organic in order to… grow?”

“It isn't a TARDIS,” muttered the Doctor quickly and Tony said something at the same time, uttering a word that sounded distinctly like ‘coral’. Rose looked at the Doctor, her eyebrows raised and then she spoke.

“You been keeping something from me, Tim?” He balked at the use of his new name and looked a little sheepish. Then he sighed, took her hand and began to move her deeper into the corridors.

They carried on in relative silence, passing doors that Rose wanted to explore and Tony chatting excitedly, until they reached a room which Rose deemed to believe was the centre of the whole structure. A clearing amongst a circle of silver birch, all bent to join into a circular dome above them; held a large flat stone at the centre, upon which sat a large piece of coral which had started to grow. Little tentacles of coral reached out like a growing mould covering parts of the stone and reaching down towards the silver trunks of the wide birches.

“I didn't really do anything to the coral, it just sort of happened,” he murmured softly, watching her face. She looked at him sharply, her left eyebrow raised.

“Yeah? Sort of happened, how?”

“Well, it was me really, last month. Dad was busy in the atrium and I was wandering about with Rusty in the trees behind. I found this stone and was playing with it. I had some of my stones with me.” Rose nodded; Tony collected stones and fossils and often carried some around in his pockets. He was so like his father it was almost laughable. “Dad had a piece of coral in his pocket that I had borrowed. He didn't know, I knew I shouldn't, but it was so interesting and it sort of made me feel good. I was playing around with it on the stone and when Dad called me, I couldn't get it off. It had attached itself.” Tony’s head bowed low and the Doctor took over.

“He didn't tell me for a couple of days. I knew something was bothering him and I followed him one morning. The clever coral by then had established her self and I had no alternative than to let her. That’s why we developed the corridor more than anything, and now it’s working in tandem with our trans-dimensional spatial science we really haven’t done much else...” Rose looked from the coral to her son, to her husband and let out a low rumble. Then she belly laughed, letting her own trans-dimensional stomach wobble. The Doctor and Tony looked on in near alarm and then Tony joined in, giggling madly at the tears streaming down his mother’s face. The Doctor grinned sheepishly.

“What?”

“You’re...” she wheezed, holding her sides.

“What?” he asked again, bewildered.

“You’re…” Tony was on the floor, he didn't know why, but his mother losing control was enough.

“WHAT?” he asked again loudly, but by now Rose’s laughter was infectious and he had also started to chuckle.

“You can take the Time Lord out of the man… but you can’t take the man out of the TARDIS!” she shrieked between breaths. He stopped suddenly and stared hard at her.

“Not a TARDIS, Rose, not at all. It will have certain aspects. But she won’t travel. Is that okay?”

“Oh, Doctor, she? I’d have you on any terms, but I somehow think you’re kidding yourself. You’re going to experiment… it’s in your genes and with your little accomplice here and another on the way?” She shook her head and laughed again, wiping the tears from her eyes.

“Rose, there is so much missing… I couldn't possibly!”

“You saying it isn't possible, Doctor?” she challenged him and for a moment he looked like a rabbit caught in head lights and then he responded slowly as if a new idea had struck him.

“Oh, nothing's impossible, Rose, not when I’m concerned..."


	30. Chapter 30

Pete ran at her full pelt, grabbing the box from her arms and glaring at her disapprovingly. “There are enough of us here to cover the lifting and carrying! You’ll do yourself and the babe some mischief like that!” 

She pouted at him and rested her hands on her hips, sticking her large belly out at him rather like a small and spoilt child, “I’m as strong as an ox!” she retorted, practically stamping her foot.

“No… I won’t allow it and nor will he if he sees you!”

A look of near-fear crossed her face. “You won’t tell him, will you, Daddy?”

“Don’t you ‘Daddy’ me, Rose Tyler-Lord… no, I won’t tell him, not this time…”

“Tell me what?” interrupted the clipped tones of the 'him' in question as he emerged from the house laden with boxes and a pleased grin.

“Nothing!” they both replied as one and looked guiltily to the ground.

“I hope you weren't lifting things, Rose? Someone looking suspiciously like you was just now, I saw from Tony’s bedroom window?”

“Not my bedroom anymore!” said a loud voice from just below Rose; she peered over her rotund belly at her little son and smiled.

“Is it empty?” she asked fondly, ruffling his unruly hair and trying to deflect the subject in hand.

“No, I left a few things for when I go to stay,” he said solemnly, not taking in the grown up looks exchanged above his head between the three. Then he trotted off with his bundle and disappeared through the blue wooden doors. There was a short silence.

“It’s not fair! I think you’re really mean… you all get to help build MY nest and all I’m allowed to do is watch and instruct!”

“Sounds like my idea of heaven!” came a muffled voice from behind them as Jackie emerged from the house laden with bags and bedding. Pete tutted and relieved her of a few items and they moved towards the new Tardis Cottage in the trees leaving the Doctor and Rose alone in stalemate.

“We’re just doing the heavy stuff; you can do the arranging, Rose. You have to take care!”

“I know… I was. I was weighting it and made sure my back was straight and everything… please let me DO something!” The Doctor smiled at Rose and leaned forward, his boxes in front of him and her belly in front of her. Their foreheads touched.

“Sweetheart, this IS your hormones, the need to feather your nest and I can understand that. We’re nearly finished and Tony is sleeping in the house tonight. Everything is still in a mess! But that was the last of it. Jackie and Pete are going to leave us to it. We will be alone in our own home!”

“But Tony?”

“Is knackered and can see our front doors from his bed there and his bed here hasn't even been put up yet. He doesn't mind!”

“Okay… gonna carry me over the threshold then, Docta?” she grinned. He pulled back and observed her swollen body.

“If you want me too,” he squeaked. 

She laughed out loud.“Nah, it would only give you a hernia and then what use would you be?”

“Sorry?”

“Alone? In our own Tardis Cottage for the first time? I hope our bed is built?” The Doctor swallowed and nodded.

“Don’t look so worried, Docta, I won’t eat you… well, not all at once!”

“Rose?”

“I know, we just have to be very gentle, sex is very good for me right now, gets things moving, keeps me subtle… what?” His head inclined towards their new home and she turned to see three figures watching them from not so very far away.

“You two!” tutted Jackie and moved off towards the house.

“Come on, old boy!” said Pete with a grin and hoisted Tony up on to his shoulders. As they passed, the little boy leant down and kissed them both goodnight.

“Do you think it’s appropriate to my sister that you keep on with the practising?” he whispered to his dad, who actually blushed, but it was dusk and nobody saw, so he was spared. Rose grinned as the two disappeared into the house.

“Home, then?”

“Home... there’s no place quite like it!” he answered happily and they stepped together to the closed Tardis doors.

She stopped and dug in his pockets, feeling about far more than was necessary, until she found the key.

The door swung open with a familiar creak and he stepped inside before her. She stood for a moment wondering what he was up to and then made to walk in, but he came back out empty handed and grinning.

“Threshold, with a heavily pregnant woman? Piece of cake!” He picked her up into his arms and she fitted into them so easily, she might as well have been as light as Tony.

“You've filled out such a lot since…” she trailed off, now she was the one who was blushing furiously and he could see perfectly clearly in the light of their new home he had carried her into.

“Since I became me?” he asked simply as he set her gently down.

“Yes, exactly. All that building has given you an incredible upper body to match your incredible lower one! You’re in good shape, Doctor!”

“So are you,” he hummed into her neck as he took her in his arms again.

“Bollocks… I’m the size of a bus!”

“You’re beautiful!” She pulled back and looked him in the face, a wry grin on her lips waiting for the rest of the sentence. It didn't come. What came was a kiss so gentle and so loving it brought tears to her eyes.

“Rose?”

“Mmmmmm?”

“Let’s finish this in the morning, you look done in... let’s go to bed?”

“Best idea you've had all night!” She gave him a cheeky wink, slapped his bum and then scarpered up their new corridors to the bedroom she had lovingly decorated, with him in hot pursuit. She stopped in her tracks in the door way. There were bags and boxes everywhere and the bed was covered in yet more boxes.

He said nothing, merely took her hand and steered her away and down the corridor further still. He opened a door and pulled her in.

It was a spare room, one they had agreed to have for when the baby was born and they might need a quiet place to rest. The bed was large and neutral and the walls were cream. It was a very restful room. 

But not tonight. Their clothes were off in moments and they lowered themselves on to the bed in a passionate embrace. He was careful with her and she felt cheated by her body that he felt he had to hold back.

Enthusiastically, she took him into her mouth and swallowed him deep and fast into her in a frenzied attempt to fire him up beyond control.

Although his breathing was shallow and his eyes betrayed how much he was enjoying her ministrations, he still remained passive save a few jolts of the hips and his large hands caressing her now rather splendid and large bosoms.

Finally he pulled her back on a ragged breath. She smiled and turned her naked behind towards him. Ever since she had got really big they had opted for this position as the favourite. He was more comfortable with not hurting her like this and she agreed. It worked the best. The Doctor knelt behind her and pushed his solid and straining length into her white-hot and wet walls.

She pushed back into him quickly and took him by surprise. She had had such an appetite for sex in this last trimester that he rarely needed to touch her, she was ready to go at the drop of a hat.

“Come on, Doctor!” she ordered and pushed herself into him again. He moved into her making her gasp and murmur words of encouragement at him. She was like an animal and even though he adored making love to her, he was quite looking forward to the rest after the baby was born.

“Oh, Doctor!” she squealed loudly and he moved a little faster, a little harder, excited by her lack of inhibition. 

“Oh, Rose… you’re so wet and so…”

“Yes! Yes! Oh, Doctor! Harder, do it harder!” He complied, a little shocked and very turned on by her.

“Hot!” he squeaked as she pushed herself back against him, making her own guttural squeaks and groans.

“I’m … oh, yes, like that harder… yes, fuck, oh, yes! Doctor!” Her hips convulsed against him and she roared even louder.

“Wet!” he groaned and pushed harder still into her, his own climax building as his balls tightened underneath them.

“Doctor!” she screamed and her hips convulsed again. It tipped him over and as he pulsed into her, her walls tightened around him and she screamed through her orgasm as loudly as she ever had when they had travelled aboard the TARDIS together.

They fell panting and sweaty onto the bed and the laughter rumbled throatily between them.

“Best ever… I've so missed not being able to yell!” she said, stroking her large belly.

“Ah, clever room this… sound proofed. Perfect for playing away from the children!” He grinned happily.

“But, surely, that works both ways? If they can’t hear us, we can’t hear them?” 

His face dropped. “Ah, right… hadn't quite… will have to give it a little more… easily done though… sound can be like a two way mirror…” He was off on a tangent and Rose grinned, knowing that if he had his specs they would be on by now.

She sat up and stilled. “Erm… Doctor?” He didn't respond immediately. “Doctor!” He jumped at the sound of her voice.

“Rose?” Her face had paled and he was instantly concerned. Then he felt it. A pool of moisture spreading across the bed and soaking her and part of him. This was very much more than a damp patch.

“Think we might not be getting any sleep any time soon, Doctor. She’s on her way!”

“Your waters..?”

“Have broken!” she finished, looking at him, her eyes rounded with shock and tinged with fear.


	31. Chapter 31

The Doctor jumped from the bed as if he had been burnt and stared at her, his eyes as round as saucers. She grinned ruefully at him and eased herself off the wet bed.

“Don’t you dare start that!” she breathed calmly and began to strip off the sheets. He watched her; mouth opening and closing like a goldfish and then sprang into action.

“Don’t move, Rose, you need to settle… she isn't supposed to be here for another fortnight! Oh my God, I must have started you off!”

“Quite common… it’s the prostaglandins, it can induce labour… she wants out mate and I can’t say I don’t blame her!”

“Rose, you’re being surprisingly calm considering what your body is about to go through!”

“Well, thanks for reminding me, Doctor, really encouraging that!”

“What are you doing?” He pulled the mattress away from Rose and lifted it.

“Have to air it out; I want to lean it against the wall!” She moved to take the mattress again and laughed as he snatched it and leant it against the wall.

“Rose, please… I’m not… you are okay? I know when the amniotic fluid has broken, labour can speed up quite fast and there is also more risk of infection!”

“Listen, mate, I am not going into hospital until I absolutely have to… I’m fine, not a twinge and this place is all so new and clean, there isn't a germ anywhere! I expect there would be more risk in the hospital!”

“”Really? “ His face was a picture and she laughed and tossed a pillow at him.

“Yes, you can give me a check over, but I refuse to go anywhere until I can’t cope and if you go and get my mother I will kill you!” He stopped in his tracks, his back turning from the door.

She took his hand and led him down the corridor to the room that he had pegged as the infirmary although there had been arguments about there ever being a need for one.

“Put something on though, it’s a little distracting,” she murmured as she mounted the gurney. He looked down at this naked goddess, his wife; and he sighed. A white lab coat hung on the back of the door and he slipped it on over his naked body. Rose was fiddling with the equipment that sat on a table to her left.

As he approached her, he saw her body stiffen and her huge belly contorted. She gasped and paled.

“Rose?” He was by her in an instant.

“That hurt.” He pulled out the stethoscope that he had purloined from Torchwood and listened to her stomach. Her stomach convulsed again and she grabbed his hand. Tightly.

“Rose?” he squeaked as she squeezed and groaned.

“Doctor, I think she isn't going to wait! I think I might need to…” She sat up and strained into another contraction and he buckled under her grip.

“Help me Doctor, it hurts!” she turned tear-filled, worried eyes to him and he straightened immediately, gathering his wits.

“You only had to ask!” he soothed, disengaging her grip on his hand and moving down to her open legs.

Within minutes he was finished and talking nine to the dozen. The words he was speaking were garbled and panicked. She could determine words like “hospital,” and “ midwife”, but it was “your mother” that got a reaction out of her. She leaned over and slapped him hard.

“There is no time to get anyone; I need you to deliver our daughter safely, because she _is_ coming. Right now! Understand?” 

“Right, right. A baby, it’s just a baby. People do it all the time… yes.” He didn't have time to waffle on because Rose heaved herself into another contraction and began to strain into another push. He pushed his specs back on and inspected the crowning head between her legs.

“She really is coming, Rose! I can see her hair!”

“You need to check her, make sure she is clear to be delivered, clear her face so she can breath!” instructed Rose as she panted.

“I know, next one, nice and gently… push and… OH!” He had no time to do all she had said as the tiny little girl slithered from her mother and landed safely in her father’s large hands.

There was a moment of silence save Rose’s heavy breaths and then he was in action stimulating the quiet infant into crying, filling her lungs with air and screeching for her nice warm womb. He lifted the slippery baby to her mother s outstretched arms and, after seeing to the rest of her delivery with much more composure; he knelt beside the gurney while Rose put her to her breast. Instantly, she latched on to the dark nipple and was quiet, save a few snuffles.

Rose looked into his tear filled eyes and smiled through her own.

“She’s alright?” she whispered, leaning over and kissing him, then resting her forehead against his.

“Seems fine, we should get her checked over, but she’s feeding, that’s a good thing… I’ll get your mother; she can do all the phoning about…” He began to move, but Rose hung on to his arm.

“Not just yet… let’s have this time, just us, yeah? I want to have this moment.” He eased back beside her and smiled.

“Not too long, though. I want you both checked over, that was an incredibly fast delivery.”

“She was born running!”

“What shall we call her?”

“I thought you wanted to call her Luna?”

“I do like it; I just didn't want to take the naming away from you. Names are important.”

“I like Alluna, I saw it in a book I was reading the other day, I meant to say. Then we can shorten it to Luna, which is what I've been calling her since you said anyway!”

“That’s lovely, yes… I like it. I like it very much.”

The baby, Alluna, unlatched and turned her face towards their soft voices. She stilled as if listening and they stopped to look down at her.

“Hello Luna,” whispered Rose and the baby turned her head to the sound of her voice, seemingly trying to focus. Then her mouth turned up into what appeared to be a beatific smile and, quite suddenly, she let out a loud burp before shutting her eyes and dozing off to sleep.


	32. Chapter 32

Jackie Tyler crept into the bedroom that the Doctor had spent the rest of the night clearing. She could feel her grandson’s little hand clasped tightly in her own and she knew how nervous he was feeling.

The room was quiet and surprisingly light. She looked up and saw that the light was fed through a circular skylight rather like a tunneled porthole coming through the trees.

Rose was sleeping in the bed and the white wicker crib stood close by her. As they approached it, the Doctor walked in and beamed at them.

In two strides he was across the room and scooped Tony up into him arms. They moved to the crib and the little boy peered inside. The babe slept peacefully, tiny little fingers curled up around her face and tongue moving inside her mouth in mimicry of a dreamt feed.

Tony touched the blonde downy hair and stroked the plump little cheeks, exploring this new and tiny being.

Jackie new the Doctor would tease her for being soft at shedding these new tears and she blinked furiously before she caught his eye and saw that he was also in a state of over-spilling emotions. He smiled and cocked his head at her.

“I’m tired, been up all night,” he said softly and Jackie nodded as Rose stirred and opened her eyes. She saw Tony and smiled as she observed his concentration. He was mesmerized by this new addition and hadn't said a word. 

Rose sat up and reached her arms up for him and the Doctor lowered him into them. Tony’s eyes remained glued to his baby sister. He settled in his mother’s arms and the Doctor lifted his daughter out of the crib and rested her on to her brother’s lap.

“Say hello to your sister, Tony,” whispered the Doctor and Tony’s eyes, round as saucer’s flickered up to his father and then back down.

“Hello, Luna.” The tiny infant stretched her whole body stiffening on the not-so large lap. Her own eyes opened and she fixed on the voice. He smiled down at her and took her tiny hand in his.

The Doctor, who had crouched down beside them, caught Rose’s eye over Tony’s head. She was also now crying and smiling and a little sob from behind him confirmed that Jackie was also moved to tears again.

“Right, you lot, this is supposed to be a happy time and here we are, snivelling like... well... like babies!”

“I’m not!” said Tony who hadn't stopped smiling since he had found his little sister’s hand to hold.

“Did the mid-wife get off alright?” asked Rose after a moment.

“Yes, she said she will be back later on and to get some rest!”

“Sounds good! You look done in too!”

“Yes, haven’t actually slept since the night before last, been running on adrenaline for hours. Bed looks like a very nice place to be right now!”

“Then you’d better get in beside me, Dr. Lord and rest your weary body!” Rose grinned and the Doctor took Luna from Tony who made a small grunt of protest. He placed her gently back in the crib and covered her over. Rose turned Tony around and cuddled him tightly.

“Do you approve, sweetheart?” she asked him.

“I love her, Mum, she's perfect. I was so lonely before Dad came and now? Well... now I have everything. I don’t feel so alone in my head anymore; do you know what I mean?”

“Oh, yes, I think I do.” Rose stifled a yawn and the Doctor looked at Jackie, still standing near the door, arms folded and a shy smile on her face. She nodded at him and moved towards Tony.

“I think we should let your mum and dad get some rest. How about you and I go and sort out your room so you can sleep here tonight?” Tony’s face lit up at the suggestion and he bounced off Rose’s lap, peered into the crib for one last look and scampered off down the corridor to his new room.

“Sleep... right?” said Jackie flashing her eyes between then.

“Mum!” gasped Rose and Jackie left quickly, shutting the door firmly behind her.

The Doctor pulled off his clothes and was beside her in moments. She drew him into her and he sighed happily into her shoulder, inhaling her hair and her scent.

“Feels weird, you in a nightie…”

“Well, I’m not taking it off! Not a chance, Mister!”

“Why not? I’m used to sleeping with your skin against mine!” He licked her neck, calculating her chemicals easily and confirming to himself that she was completely fine.

“Because, maternity bras are hideous and... and I’m wearing really big knickers! I don’t want you to see me like that!” The Doctor pulled his face out of her hair and grinned into her serious face.

“You’re my wife… I think I could overlook those details… it isn't like I’m going to ravish you or anything!” Rose observed him thoughtfully and then she sat up and pulled off her night gown.

“There, see!” she said exposing her large white underwear to him. He grinned and pulled her back down into his bare arms with a contended sigh.

“Beautiful! I love you, Rose Tyler-Lord!” She found his lips and kissed them sweetly, a hint of exhaustion peppering both pairs.

They settled easily and within moments they were both fast asleep, their exhausted bodies breathing in time to one another’s.

It was barely ten minutes before the little crib twitched and a disgruntled moan came from it. There was an expectant pause and then another tiny moan. When this got no response, the baby within cried out and then stilled, shocked at the sound that she had made herself. Again, she paused and waited expectantly.

It wasn't until she filled her lungs right up and screamed continuously for several seconds, did she get a reaction.

The Doctor sat bolt upright and Rose pulled herself up onto her elbows, her tousled hair looking like a rather untidy hat.

He got out of bed and picked up the now rather angry tot and walked over to the bed with her. Then he went to his own side and got in with her still cradled against his naked skin and searching frantically for the much needed nipple.

Rose undid the hook that held her bra cup in place and he gently handed over Luna.

As she fed he encircled them in his arms and rested his face upon Rose’s shoulder. She leant back slightly against him.

“Bad habit!” she whispered sleepily.

“What is?”

“Feeding in bed… might drift off… dangerous…”

“It’s okay, you have me now. I won’t let anything bad happen, Rose. You rest, I’ll sort her out.” Rose’s eyes fluttered and the baby fed greedily while the Doctor looked on, occasionally helping her to latch on.

He smiled down at his daughter and savoured this moment thinking a little sadly of what he had missed with Tony and how Rose had had to do this alone.


	33. Chapter 33

“Do you do that on purpose, Rose?” He was standing in their bedroom door way, a look of wistful desire filling his eyes.

“Do what, Doctor?” She turned in surprise, her hair hung limply around her pale face, her baggy grey t-shirt had damp spots where she was leaking milk. She looked tired and puzzled.

“Tease me like this… I know you only gave birth a couple of weeks ago, but how can you look so bloody sexy when I know we can’t at the moment?”

Rose looked down at herself, she knew that she smelt vaguely of baby sick, that she was in need of a shower and that all she really felt like doing was sleeping for a month, but she really couldn't believe what the Doctor was getting at.

“You… have a one track mind; it’s only because we can’t that you feel that way… I mean, look at me!” He walked into the room, grinning from ear to ear.

“You look fantastic, mother Earth… mother of my children!”

“Stop it, I’m knackered and really not up to playing at the moment!”

“I wouldn't push anything on you, sweetheart… I just wanted you to know how gorgeous you are!” He put his arms around her and she leaned weakly into him.

“I know, it’s just very demanding… I feel like a zombie, I need a shower and some sleep… she fed nearly all night!”

“I know, I was there… breastfeeding is wonderfully good for both of you, but it makes me feel just a little useless!”

“No, you’re great; most men would roll over and continue to sleep… I’m sorry, I’m just tired.”

“Well, I came to tell you that the plumbing is done and I have a huge bubble bath running for you… go and soak yourself, take as long as you like.”

“Where’s Tony?”

“Walking the dog with Pete… your mum is cooking lunch… it’s all very domestic.” 

Rose turned to observe him, feeling this comment was thrown in because he might be uncomfortable with it, but all she got from him was a look of pure content. Her heart tapped inside her chest and her eyes prickled. He smiled happily at her and looked down at their sleeping baby.

“Yes, she’s asleep now… could sleep for the planet during the day! It’s the night that’s the problem!” she muttered, distracting herself from her threatening emotions.

He smiled, pulling her in a little tighter. “It'll all settle soon enough… you just have to learn to let me do something too… go and have your bath and after her feed you can go to bed… have a rest… I’ll see to her, okay?” Rose raised herself onto her toes, placed a chaste kiss upon his full bottom lip and left towards the new master bathroom, the one with the super sized bath.

He watched the doorway a little wistfully, picturing a naked Rose in that great big bath, but it was a little snuffle that pulled him out of his mind set.

Luna stared up at him with big blue eyes… Jackie had been thrilled at these, saying that perhaps their dominant gene wasn't quite so dominant after all. He had kept quiet about the strange mixture that lay within his own genes. Being human had made him very much more tolerant of this sort of thing.

“So, she leaves and you decide to wake, do you?” The eyes, although so young, were well focused on him and she wriggled, bringing her fist up to her mouth and sucking furiously. 

He picked her up and cradled her in his arms; she flexed and settled, waiting expectantly.

“You know, you don’t smell so good… is that why you woke?” The eyes stared up at him, looking as if they knew all the secrets of the universe. He walked over to the changing table and placed her gently down, her arms went up at the loss of contact and her eyes widened, if that were possible. He quickly got the cooled boiled water, the cotton wool balls and the clean nappy. Luna watched his every move with what appeared to be mild interest.

He unpopped her baby-grow and got her legs out of the tiny feet… she kicked out, enjoying the air on her skin and he grinned down at her, his eyes glowing with pride.

As he held her legs up, nappy off, he reached for the cotton wool and accidentally knocked it to the floor just out of reach. He was stuck, her feet would kick into the dirty nappy if he let go of them and the cotton pads were too far for him to reach.

Luna watched with interest as he tried to stretch for them. Then, as he straightened up exasperated, the corners of her tiny mouth turned up and she closed her eyes.

“Don’t add to it, minx!” he whispered, but a movement on the floor distracted him and with amazement he watched as the cotton wool began to move up towards him. His eyes flickered from them to his daughter in amazement and the cotton wool rose happily to the table in front of him.

Luna’s eyes flickered open and she gazed at him knowingly. His mouth opened and closed and then he continued to clean her up, dwelling thoughtfully at what he had just witnessed.

He sat on the bed and laid her in between his legs, a collection of small objects beside him. She stared at him as he picked up a tiny teddy and showed her it. Her eyes fixed on it with interest as he sat it on his chest. She watched it intently, her body very still.

He sang an age-old nursery rhyme as he played with her, a tune that would never be recognised by any inhabitant of this world and words that made no sense... or so it seemed.

He watched with wonder as the toy moved from his stomach and drifted to hers. She reached clumsily and grabbed at it bringing it straight to her mouth. He laughed and removed it gently. She whined in protest.

They spent the next half hour playing this game until Rose wandered in refreshed and damp. She stopped in the doorway, watching her husband engrossed in their new daughter. He sensed her after a while and glanced up delightedly.

“What are you two up to?” she asked, approaching the bed softly.

“Oh, Rose, I think Luna might be part Jedi!” he said, the excitement glowing in his eyes.

“Jedi? Doctor, that’s a little out there!”

“No, I mean she can summon stuff... it’s very clever... watch!” He and Luna gave Rose a demonstration with the teddy and she sat beside them, enchanted.

“I thought I was going barmy!” she murmured.

“What? What do you mean?”

“Well, things keep turning up where I need them, little things, and yesterday, I tipped my coffee and as I reached to grab it, it righted itself… I thought it was my hormones playing tricks on me! What is she, Doctor? Is this normal?”

“It isn't unheard of, it's called psychokinesis… I have never witnessed it before and definitely never heard of it in someone so young… she has a very rare and special quality!”

“The force is strong in this one?” teased Rose as Luna started to fidget. Rose knew it was feeding time as Luna smacked her lips and let out a hungry whimper.


	34. Chapter 34

Rose pulled up on the gravel and smiled at the huge mansion before her. She pulled herself out of the 4x4 and began to walk around the house instead of heading towards the front doors.

The side garden was small and well established and she smiled fondly at the pair of blue doors set into the trees.

As she let herself quietly into Tardis Cottage, she observed her husband, working at the console that he was building in the centre of the huge domed hallway. It had been her idea that he did this; it would command control of the whole under-forest house that they were semi-building/semi-growing there.

It could see into every room, control lights, heating and communications. He was even working on the possibility of controlling the kitchen from there.   
Ultimately, when the build was finished, he would be able to write from the lower desk that he had built into it.

She knew that it was nostalgic of them to make it such a familiar background to live their life in, but to them it was perfect. And secretly, she knew that he couldn't resist working on other mechanics within this space that might allow them travel of a different kind one day in the far future.

He looked up and smiled at her at that very moment, seemingly reading her thoughts. 

“Hey you,” she said, walking right into the room and up to him. He leaned over and placed a kiss on her lips before resuming with the overly-intricate wires that he had splayed across his hands and half way up his arms.

“How was it?” he asked, looking down his specs, the blue light from his screwdriver reflecting in the glass.

“Truthfully? I was completely bored… they all had to go out on a reccy and I was left at base. It really isn't the same on radio, you know?”

“I know, Rose… but… well, you know?”

“Oh, yes… I wasn't saying that! I just miss it sometimes… any job would pale after all I've done.”

“You’re happy there, though?”

“It’s good for me… yes, I have friends… you can get on with this… even the children are… where are they?”

“Tony was in Luna’s room reading or something… she was sleeping… think she’s awake now, though.” There was no sound to indicate this at all, but she knew that he was right because he always was.

“I’ll just go and see what they’re up to, then…”

“Tea will be ready in about fifteen minutes, oh and your mother wants you to call in later…”

“Okay… do you want a hand?”

“I think I've got it under control… you go and change and see those imps… I sense they might be getting up to mischief…”

“Oh?” She left him finishing up the wiring and wandered down the grated corridor towards Luna’s bedroom. This room had been grown by the new coral and not built like the rest of the main house, so it was even more special as the coral had imprinted upon Luna and made a room that reflected her.

As she drew nearer, she heard giggling and music. She stopped at the doorway, her mouth dropping open.

Luna, now five months old, sat in the centre of the room on a rug and smiled beatifically at her big brother as he danced around enjoying himself immensely.

Every available object of a certain size was in the air all around them. A soft fluffy rabbit floated past Rose followed by a hairbrush, a picture book and an assortment of building blocks.

They knew she was there, but paid no mind to it, so engrossed in this new game were they.

Rose observed her little blonde baby daughter, the mop of curls turning every which way fresh from sleep. She wore a brightly striped baby-grow and her blue eyes blinked happily as she sent the objects whirling around the room.

Tony, the spitting image of his father was flushed and excited. His fifth birthday was in a few days time and he had been unable to choose a present as he said that nothing in the world could top having a sister. A sister who shared his head so easily even though she was so young.

Luna’s development was accelerating as a result of having the Doctor and Tony to bounce off and with Rose’s grounding and common sense and ability to love her without question, and with the stoic Jackie as her grandmother; you could only expect her to thrive on it.

The Doctor had taken over her education within the first month and insisted that Tony help, although Tony was learning as much as she was. This, of course had been the Doctor’s objective. He wanted Tony to have as much background as Luna and knew that this was the easiest way to make sure he had it.

Rose was involved as much as she chose to be. On the whole, she felt it unnecessary and was happy to organize days out and walks and other activities that they all enjoyed as a proper family. Tony proved himself a whiz at physics pretty quickly and Luna was using her abilities more and more frequently as was the case right now. Rose thought of that scene in Mary Poppins when the nursery gets out of control as Tony got hit in the head by a hard wooden train.

“She’s a minx!” said the Doctor softly from behind her. She had been so engrossed by the scene in front of her that she hadn't heard him coming behind her. His arms snaked around her waist and he buried his face into her neck.

“Someone’s going to get hurt…”

“Nah… he’s got a hard head… he just has to learn to duck… I didn't say hello to you properly then… hello!” She leant back against him and sighed happily.

“Hello...” Instantly the toys dropped to the floor and Luna turned to them clapping her hands and flexing her fists at Rose. Tony stared at her a little disappointed.

“Mumumumumumum!” chanted Luna as Rose entered the room, picking her way through the debris of toys and other nursery objects towards her. She picked up Tony first, planted a kiss on his lips and twirled him around. Then she put him down and picked up the squeaking child.

“Time to eat you lot!” said the Doctor as he took his son’s hand. As they left the corridor, he looked at his daughter and said sternly, but with a hint of undeniable amusement in his tone, "and you can tidy all that lot up, young lady! If you can get it in the air, you can get it back where it belongs, right?” She smiled happily at him.

“Dadadadadadadad!” she sung as they went off in the direction of their fantastic newly built kitchen.

“She is proving a handful, isn't she? How you can even suggest another so soon is beyond me!!” muttered Rose as they walked together, although her tone was gentle.

“I don’t want such large gaps, Rose… really; we decided on a large family… we don’t have all the time in the world… I just wanted you to know that I am ready whenever you are!”

“Oh my god! You were serious?” Tony was grinning from ear to ear, but made no comment. The Doctor didn't reply, but he nodded at her gently and squeezed her hand.

“I know it’s soon for you Rose and I do feel that it is important that we are both in agreement… I just wanted you to be aware of my… my wishes…” They entered the kitchen and moved into a routine of domesticity that would have had a former face of his turning in his grave if he had had one.

Rose put Luna in the high chair and Tony climbed up to the sink and washed his hands. Then he dutifully laid the table while the Doctor opened the oven. Smoke billowed from it and the room was suddenly engulfed in a cloud of grey.

With much coughing, they evacuated the room and let the vents that he had installed do their job. Rose looked at the Doctor and grinned.

“Again?”

“It isn't that I can’t cook, you understand, Rose? It’s just that I get side-tracked and forget… as soon as I can get the galley tuned into the mains it’ll be a doddle!”

“But I'm hungry now!” said Tony looking miserable.

“It’s okay, love, we’ll go and see what Grandma’s got for us, shall we?” said Rose winking at the Doctor.

“Again?” said the Doctor, looking mortified, but taking the familiar route towards the main house with his family.

“Galley?” quizzed Rose, in the twilight.

“Kitchen… yes kitchen… slip of the tongue!”


	35. Chapter 35

The lights were dim and Tony stood upon a chair as he watched his father with bated breath. Luna sat on her father’s hip and fiddled with his side-burn as he listened for the footsteps outside.

It was icy out and when the sound of them came, it was quite evident that she was treading very carefully. Tony raised an eyebrow at his dad. The Doctor watched the door as the key turned in the lock and then, as it began to open, he nodded.

Rose stood in the doorway as their entrance hall, that was really an exact replica of the console room on board their old TARDIS, lit up.

Fairy lights twinkled amongst the coral struts and a huge Christmas tree stood towering above them near to the stairs that led up to the newly grown observatory.

Gentle music played and Rose looked at her family, who had obviously been decorating all afternoon. She placed the parcels she had carried from the car down and beamed at them.

“It’s perfect… beautiful… I love it!”

“Really? We haven’t gone overboard?”

“You? It’s bigger than Mum’s!”

“Is it? I hadn't noticed!”

“Cwistmus twee!” said Luna, pointing up at it, her eyes shining, reflecting the beautiful lights. The Doctor placed her down and she waddled over to her mother, still staring at the tree. Rose scooped her up, hugging her tightly as her eyes shone too, this time, with moisture.

Tony jumped down from the chair and took his mother’s hand. “Come and see this!” he whispered reverently as he pulled at her. She followed his lead as he walked down the left wing corridor. The Doctor, hands in pockets, took pace behind them, a satisfied grin adorning his handsome face.

The coral in the centre of the woods had grown beyond recognition. There was now a beautiful courtyard there. It had stone arches and a large bell hung high up. There were benches surrounding it and a clear night sky above them although the air here wasn't cold.

This wasn't what Tony wanted to show her, though, no, he continued right through the coral courtyard and onto a new corridor that Rose had never seen. She turned her head and looked at her husband quizzically. He merely took Luna and continued alongside her, smiling indulgently.

They stopped at a door and Tony turned to his mother and smiled.

“After you…” Rose looked from each pair of brown eyes and then turned the handle and opened the door. It was a mass of wires and pipes and engines. She had never seen anything quite like it, although the school boiler rooms where she had often skived maths classes came to mind.

“What on Earth?” she stammered.

“Rose, you have to understand that this is nothing to do with us… the coral has done this by herself… we discovered it only today.”

“But… I don’t understand… I mean… what is it?”

“It’s an engine room… she’s growing an engine room… she’s determined, this one. It’s fascinating… I didn't think it was possible.”

“Tell her, Dad…” hissed Tony, digging his elbow into his father’s hip. There was a silence.

“Baby!” sang Luna as she toddled about amongst the wires and machinery.

“Baby?” said Rose, her eyes seeking out her husband’s.

“Babies… actually… this room has been grown for the pilot’s in the family… they are on their way.”

“Doctor, you’re speaking in riddles… please… I'm shattered... it's Christmas Eve tomorrow… what are you talking about?”

“This TARDIS will fly, Mum, we knew that almost straight away… weren't sure how… it needs the stars of Gemini to send it on its way and they are amongst us now.”

“What gobbledy-gook have you been feeding him now?” she asked, turning to the Doctor.

“You’re pregnant.”

“I know! Three months… you were there when we…”

“Twins.”

“What?”

“Two babies, Mum!”

“Babies!” said Luna, toddling up to Rose and patting her stomach.

“Twins… why didn't you say so… I mean, you must have known from the off?”

“Not really, it was all a little muted and muffled and then there were clean lines just today… that is how we found this. Their engine room… our pilot’s… two heart beats to me doesn't always mean twins, you see?”

“Twins?” Rose stammered, clutching her belly, her eyes widening.

“Isn't it brilliant?” said Tony, without waiting for an answer.

“Bwilliant!” echoed Luna as she picked up a loose wire and connected it to its port.

She tried to deny it later, but Rose swooned. The Doctor grabbed her around the waist and she buckled against him.

“Rose?” The Doctor was the picture of concern as he picked her up into his solid arms.

“Twins… how will I cope with five geniuses running me ragged?” she stuttered.

“Cope? Oh, it isn't that bad really… is it?” He carried her back up the corridors with Tony and Luna playing about among the struts and doorways as they followed.

“You can put me down… I was a little giddy... tired. Christmas shopping with Mum doesn't get any better!”

He placed her down on the pilot’s seat that he had designed and she sighed up at him.

“Too much of a shock?” he asked, kneeling beside her.

“I couldn't expect any less, could I? At least you didn't keep it from me!”

“But this means far more than settling down and having the domesticity that we promised each other!” Rose said nothing as she watched him. “I mean, we have to let them fulfill their destiny… you understand that? And I could never watch them go off alone and not know… could you?”

“This place always had potential… you can’t deny it, Doctor, besides, it will be a good few years before it is ready, surely… I mean, how old will they be when they can operate a TARDIS properly?”

“I don’t know… eight or nine… eight, probably, with the right tuition.”

“What?”

“That will give her enough time to grow and bond with them… it’s going to be amazing!” His eyes were shining and Rose suddenly felt like screaming. It was no time at all, eight years! What would her mother say?

“Eight years?”

“We’ll be able to watch over them… Rose, it will be all of us... together... they will never be alone!” Rose looked at this man, her husband, the second part of a twin in a way himself and she understood how desperate he was to hear her approval. That she had to tell him that this was okay. That she was with him on this. She had no choice. Besides, she didn't want to have a choice. This was their destiny. It was in their blood and she had signed up for it way back when she lived on another parallel. There had never been any going back and she wasn't going to start now!

“That’s it then? That’s all you had to tell me? That our home is growing into a formidable and fantastic time machine and that the baby we are expecting is, in fact, twins with a destiny to fulfill?”

“Nope, that’s not all I had to tell you… no… I wanted to tell you how much I love you!” He swooped forward and pressed his mouth against hers, the relief pouring out of him.

“Happy Christmas, Doctor!” She grinned as she observed the tears in his eyes.

“Happy Christmas to you too, Rose Tyler!”


	36. Chapter 36

“Rosaline? Yeah, I get Donna, but Rosaline?”

“Well…” he paused, light fingers caressing her aching back and easing the strains of holding herself up for a day, it’s a good Shakespearian name… me and Will, well we go way…”

“Yes, blah, blah, blah, Martha Jones and all that… on with it…” Rose pushed her back up at his hands irritably.

“Don’t be so horrible, Martha was a friend!”

“I know, I just don’t want to hear about your exploits with other women right now!”

“Exploits, Rose?”

“Get on with it… Rosaline?”

“Shakespeare… Love Labours Lost… amongst others, but that’s relevant in my life even if you are being silly about it!”

“Sorry… go on…”

“And, my beautiful, sweet, wife, it is after you… it means Little Rose and she is, she’s going to be… if you could only sense her in your head… Donna is the brash one, like her namesake… but this little one…” He stroked the lump that wasn't lying against the mattress, "she’s quieter, more thoughtful… sweet… and when she feels happy, it’s like the sun has come out in my heart!”

“What does Luna have to say about that, I wonder?”

“My children do not suffer jealousy, Rose… unlike their rather splendid mother… and I do not have favourites… how could I? They would all know, the jig would be up!” His hands wandered around to her rather magnificent milk-ready breasts and he caressed them very gently.

“Except Tony…” The Doctor’s hands stopped and she turned her head to look into his sad, chocolate eyes.

“We’re working on it… he has some kind of connection with Luna and the twins have been trying, we've sensed it… it’s because I wasn't here when he was developing…” His face looked utterly crestfallen.

“You’ll get there, Tony is fine, he isn't complaining of feeling left out… he’s more frustrated that he isn't getting a brother!”

“Maybe next time?” murmured the Doctor, the hands starting up again at the thought.

“Next time? Good grief, isn't four enough? Alluna is still a baby in human terms and we’re so gonna have our hands full with these two!”

“Rose… we can stop any time… I just… it doesn't matter…” She rolled over towards him so she was on her back.

“You just what?”

“Nothing…”

“No, you can’t do that… you can’t possibly start something like that and not finish!”

“I just wanted a large family…” She knew this wasn't quite the truth, so she held him with a steely glare that would have done her mother proud. It would have worked on him too, had her rather spectacular bosoms not been in his line of vision.

“Rose?”

“Mmmm?”

“How’s the back now?” There was a hopeful air to his voice that she recognised.

“Doctor, I'm expecting twins in a matter of weeks and you’re still wanting sex?”

“Sorry… I know, it’s been a while… selfish of me!”

“No, I didn't mean it like that… and whatever we were up to in the bathroom yesterday is beyond me if it wasn't sex of a kind! No, I meant... look at me... I'm the size of a double-decker bus! Why would you want to?”

“Rose… you just don’t get it do you?”

“You have a fetish for big women?”

“Don’t be silly… I have a fetish for you… look at you… beautiful… the mother of my babies… you’re body is like this because of the wonderful things we do…. you are like this because I'm a man and I made you like this! Fertility is very sexual… it makes you earthy and very, very desirable…”

“You’ll be beating your chest in a minute!” His eyes lowered from her's and down to her chest.

This was the moment that the children decided to burst into their bedroom and chaos ensued.

Luna waddled around the bed and tried to climb on.

“Problem, Tony? I thought you two were tucked up in bed?”

“We were and then it happened! I had to tell you and she wasn't letting me on my own, she was after me in a flash!”

“What? How did she even know you were up?”

“I was in bed thinking about that conundrum you set today and then she was there, in my head… she said she wanted a drink and didn't want to bother you because you were rubbing Mum’s back…” His eyes, at this moment, locked onto the Doctor’s hands which he could see were definitely not on his mother’s back. The Doctor withdrew his hands and hoisted up the thin cotton sheet that Rose insisted on sleeping under.

“In your head?”

“Yes! She communicated with me!” Alluna had climbed up onto the bed and wriggled herself into a space she made between them.

“I communicated!” She rolled her tongue around the word and clapped her podgy little hands together. Her wild blonde curls were even wilder from being in her bed.

It took a few moments for this to sink in with the Doctor, but when it did he jumped out of bed and crossed the room in one stride. He picked the little boy up and twirled him around.

“You beauty! You opened it! Oh, Anthony Tyler-Lord! Now we can really start the work!”

“Daddy nakey!” squeaked Luna as she pointed at her father, or rather at her father’s manly bits. 

“Yes, sort of takes away from the moment… why do you not own a pair of pyjamas, Dad?”

“Never wanted a pair!” replied the Doctor in no hurry to cover himself up. “Was it clear?”

“Yes, and that wasn't all… I heard your voice!”

“What? I wasn't… I mean your mother and I were chatting… I certainly wasn't projecting… what did I say?”

The conversation was interrupted by Luna falling off the bed. By the time the Doctor had kissed her bumped arm better, got her the drink she wanted and rocked her back to sleep; Rose was asleep herself and Tony had gone.

The Doctor found him some time later in the coral room. It wasn't that difficult to find Tony when he was thoughtful or something was bothering him.

The Doctor had a dressing gown on by now and he sat by Tony on the coral circle.

“Families… it’s going to get worse before it gets better, the sooner you get in my head the better... we’re going to be the only men, we’ll be outnumbered!”

“I don’t mind… it was so lonely at times before… I love them,” he replied quite simply with a little shrug. The Doctor nodded, and they sat in silence for a short while.

“So, you heard me?”

“I heard you... and I saw you… it was weird, like a dream.”

“Well, tell me, maybe we can figure it out.”

“I was nearly asleep and then this picture of you came into my head… you were in the hallway, but you didn't look very well… you were hurting and you looked so sad… you were alone… so very alone…” Tony looked a little pained as he recalled the image.

“So, what happened?”

“Well, you looked at me and you spoke…”

“What did I say?”

“Five words… just five, well, maybe six if you count the ‘don’t’ as two words… yeah six possibly…”

“Anthony…?”

“You said ‘I don’t want to go’…” The Doctor looked at his son with a little confusion.

“Anything else?”

“You lit up.”

“I lit up?”

“Yes… all yellow like the sun was bursting out of you, and then Luna’s voice came through, clear as a bell and you were gone..."


	37. Chapter 37

“Doctor?” Rose was standing right beside him and he was so deep in thought, he hadn't even heard her come in the room. He jumped at her voice.

“Sorry… I was miles away… problem?” His hand automatically rubbed at her gigantic bump and she took his hand and shook her head softly.

“Not me… strong as an ox, me... no problem, but you… you've been brooding for days now… what’s up?”

“Me? Oh, I'm fine, I just want these out safe and sound!”

“Doctor?” Their eyes met and held briefly until the Doctor lowered his. “If there’s something wrong… something I should know about…”

“Rose…” He was shaking his head, but she pressed on.

“…I mean, if you’re not telling me because you think you’re protecting the babies… then think again, ‘cos I'm beginning to stress now… I know that look… and we weren't supposed to keep big stuff from one another, remember?”

“You mustn't worry… it’s not… nothing’s going to happen, Rose, we’re fine… it’s just something Tony said the other night…”

“You mean his vision?”

“He said?”

“Yes… it was bothering him… is bothering him…” The Doctor let out a huge breath as if he’d been holding it in for days. He took Rose’s hand and pulled her down onto the pilot’s seat beside him.

“Vision, yes… do you have any idea what he saw?”

“You, in here… it sounded like…” She bit her lip and stopped.

“Not what I meant… who he saw?” Rose said nothing but there was a very slight nod. “Regeneration… the mind does all sorts, you know? He was reaching out to the closest thing to him… ironic considering they couldn't have been further apart!”

“It’s so sad.” Tears skittered down Rose’s cheeks and the Doctor pulled her into his arms.

“He’s fine, Rose… a different man now… off on other adventures… that's not the worry any more, is it?”

“You're his father… you’re that man, you both said!”

“Yes, I am his father, Rose, however… Tony isn't the same as Luna… or the twins or indeed any subsequent babies we might have. He’s a Time Lord’s child, they aren't. Yes, they have unique genes, but they aren't from pure blood… Tony is.”

“But… he’s human… he is… his heart…”

“He was born with one heart, Rose… it’s a known fact that Time Lords are often loomed with just the one functioning heart and the other grows after the first regeneration…”

“But… that means…”

“Yes, it does, and it pains me… truly pains me… my poor boy!” He held her as tightly as he could given her condition as she began to really take it in.

“But… we have to tell him something… he’s so worried it’s you and he needs to know the truth… I've always told him the truth!”

“I know… I just wanted to wait until… well… I was worried what affect it might have on you!”

“No waiting… we tell him today!”

“Right… yes, you’re right… I just… Rose, will he still see me as his dad, though?”

Rose stopped, pulled back and gave him a hard stare.“You are his father, Doctor! Besides, I really don’t think you should be so selfish about this… sorry, but you have to put your children first… he may have worries at first, but we’ll overcome them… besides, Tony’ so tuned in, he’ll probably understand this better than me!”

“Yes, you’re right… I should have said… so used to dealing with this sort of thing alone, I feel completely useless.”

“Dealing… suppressing things is not dealing with them, Doctor… no. We sit Tony down and we explain exactly what happened and what he is and see what he comes up with. You just have to be ready to answer every question he fires at you, yeah? He’ll need lots of reassurance!”

“Okay… yes… shall I get him?”

“Yes… where are they anyway?”

“With Jackie… they’re baking… she knows something’s up… thinks it’s to do with us and the babies…”

“You know my mum… she sees all… leave him for now… when Luna has her nap… don’t look like that… honestly… it won’t be as bad as you think… Tony is bright… I don’t mean clever, that’s a given… I mean he’s tuned in… he’ll work it out!”

“Rose… “

“And then he’ll spend ages dissecting the whole thing and all the solutions… what?”

“He’s gone… I've gone… and Tony… he’ll be able to, I mean if he…”

“You said that he’s a changed man and won’t have given his old self a second thought! And nothing’s going to happen to Tony, not for a long, long time… you get me? By the time he does that… if that is what will happen, he’ll be a man and he’ll have had years to adjust and learn with the very best teacher!”

“Yes, I must say you’re taking it very well. This is big stuff, Rose!”

“I know… but that’s all part of this funny old life I have with you, isn't it? We’re always going to have things thrown at us and we’ll deal with them as they come, won’t we? Also, I think you might have forgotten one rather large and handsome detail…”

“What?”

“He’s not gone, Doctor, how can he be gone when you’re here? As long as you are, he can never be completely gone, can he?”

“Oh, Rose… you always find the best things to say!”

“I was taught by the best, weren't I?”

“Were you talking about me?” Jackie’s voice floated over from the doorway where she stood with a sleepy Luna in her arms. Beside her stood Tony with a large plate of home made banana muffins and a face as long as his father's.


	38. Chapter 38

“So… there are two of you?” Tony’s brow furrowed so deeply that his eyebrows almost joined together.

“Yes… A Human Biological Meta-crisis triggered by Donna and my hand… this hand…”

“That’s why you haven’t…” Tony touched his dad’s chest gingerly and the Doctor held still, his breath catching. Rose was sitting serenely across from them, a silent observer in this very difficult exchange.

“I am him, Tony… but I am not a full Time Lord… I'm a Human Time Lord… I know we should have told you immediately but, well, honestly, I didn't think that it mattered and then, well all sorts of things add up and the vision… it wasn't me you saw… not this me…”

“It was him?”

“Yes… he was regenerating… you know what that is?”

“Yes... he’s gone? I never met him... I’ll never meet him?”

“You have him right here, Tony…” Rose spoke up for the first time, her voice softly breaking through the tension.

“But him… the Time Lord… wait… I have to think!” Tony stood abruptly and paced the bedroom, which suddenly seemed much smaller. The Doctor and Rose watched helplessly as their son tried to fathom the information in his superior six year old brain.

Finally, he stood in front of the Doctor, his face pale and haunted. “What am I, then, what does this make me?”

“Tony… you are… you are my son... you understand that?”

“I understand, yes… but I was… conceived from the other you… what does that make me… I'm not like Luna... I knew it… even the twins are stronger… who am I?”

“Tony,” Rose was sitting beside the Doctor by now and she gently pulled the little boy onto what was left of her lap, “I know it’s confusing, but he is your father… as much as the other.”

“I understand that much, Mum… I mean what am I?”

The Doctor took a deep breath. ”You are a Time Lord; Tony… you carry in you all the genetics that make up the ancient race. This makes us a little different.”

“I don’t understand… Mum is human, that makes me as much a mixture as you?”

“You descend from a Time Lord, Tony, it makes you a Time Lord.”

“So do you! Surely we are the same? Besides I only have one heart!”

“In his first life cycle, so did he… it's quite common that the second one doesn't develop until after the first regeneration.”

“And that rule doesn't apply to you?”

“No.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because I do… I feel it. You feel it too.”

“I do?”

“Tony… the reason you find the link between us harder is because you're blocking us. You built walls to protect your psyche. You had three years to build them up and Luna and I have been gradually breaking them down. You said before even the twins are stronger… no… you are so very much stronger than all of us!”

“That makes me odd man out again?”

“No, I won’t let that happen!”

“Dad... you won’t be around forever!”

“Well, that’s the course of nature in most species, isn't it?” Tony contemplated this and then wriggled over to his father’s lap.

“Tell me...” he whispered as he rested his head against the one beating heart.

“Tell you... what?”

“Everything... All...” The head pulled up and the little brown eyes met the larger and very similar ones. The sadness within was shadowed by one of a deep excitement as the dawning realisation began his explanations.

Rose sighed and stood up, slowly making her way to the bed as her husband’s voice began from the beginning. Another twinge niggled at her, but she decided that now was not the best time to tell them that her contractions had begun. She could cope with them for a while. The twins would surely let their father know when they were really on the way, wouldn't they?

 

************

 

Tony wrapped Rosaline in a towel as Jackie and the Doctor delivered Donna. Rosaline gazed up at her big brother with knowing eyes and he stroked her face. Rose screamed alarmingly loud and high pitched, but the baby remained unfazed. Tony kissed her tiny head and turned worried eyes to his mother.

“Rose, it’s because she’s breech… trust her to be awkward… she’s too big to turn… she’s coming out feet first!”

“Doctor, Tim? I'm scared… we should be in hospital…”

“No time… besides, if I thought you couldn't cope for one minute, Rose, I'm capable of performing a section… we have everything we need, I just need you to try and relax…”

“Relax, you say… I’ll give you relax… ow, ow, ow!”

“Rose, love, he knows his stuff, come on, breath deep…” Rosaline made a little strangled noise from the corner and Rose’s eyes darted over to Tony, who smiled quietly at her. Rose nodded briefly at him and turned her eyes up to her husband.

“Feet first... whatever… you ain't cutting me up... so let’s get on with it!”

The next eight minutes seemed more like eight hours as they worked to deliver the breech baby. Finally, the Doctor pulled her free, only too aware that her arm had broken as she exited the womb.

More worryingly, there was no wail of indignation or of pain as she entered her new world.

He hurried her over to the oxygen and began to work at her as Jackie soothed Rose, who was desperately trying to see what was happening. Tony moved over, obscuring the scene from his mother’s line of vision and presented her with the quietly serene Rosaline.

The distraction worked for a short while, enough time for the Doctor to get his third daughter’s lungs moving and the sound of Donna’s indignant cries filled the room. She was very loud, and the irony of it wasn't lost on the Doctor as he carefully bound her broken arm to her side.

Her namesake had had a loud disposition too.

Rose’s babies were placed in her arms while the Doctor finished off the delivery. Jackie took Tony away to find Pete and Luna, giving them some time alone to catch their breaths.

“Well, that was a distraction… I don’t think I could have managed the entire nine hundred years in one evening!”

“He took it well...”

“Rose, he’s going to ask questions constantly, you know that, right?”

“Yes… he always has… I couldn't answer him then!” The Doctor placed the now sleeping Rosaline in the crib and picked up Donna, who glared at him as if to say, “And you can keep your skinny fingers off me and all!”

“Sorry, sweetie, but I have to see to this… I’ll be gentle...” he whispered to her, glancing at Rose. Her eyelids were drooping.

“That was scary… dangerous…” whispered Rose.

“It was… have to be more careful next time, won’t we?” He slipped out of the door towards the infirmary only hearing the echo of Rose’s shout down the corridor.

“Next time!?”


	39. Chapter 39

“Isobella!” Rose called down the corridors, her voice echoing and the rumbling off the inner workings of the ever-growing time machine was her only reply. “ISOBELLA!” she repeated louder.

“Wha’?” Came the reply that wasn't Isobella’s voice but Donna’s loud and brashy one.

“I wasn't calling you, Madame… she can answer for herself!” There was a pause and then a slight shuffling, a door closed and within moments a small girl with blonde hair appeared carrying a toddler attached to her hip.

Rose’s face softened and her mouth twitched, “Rosie, you ought to know better!” she chided, but not too sharply.

“She asked... she was really good, Mum! We had to get on, you understand? She helps us.”

“She’s two years old, Rosie… I mean geniuses or not, there’s only so much she can contribute!”

“Oh, she contributes lots!” Donna’s voice came from behind them, her defiant look and strawberry blonde her clashing with the furious blush of her cheeks.

“Donna, I'm really sorry if I interrupted, but she has to eat at the right times or she’ll be up even more in the night!”

“Dad’ll deal with her,” said Donna with a shrug.

“Donna, don’t use that tone with Mum, you know what Dad said!” 

“She knows… she doesn't mean to lose her patience, Rose, she just wants to get it done… real life gets in the way.” The Doctor and Tony came from another direction, the boy’s height now on a par with Rose. He looked more and more like his fathers everyday.

“Yeah, what he said... I am... I mean, I do… sorry Mum, I know I can be a little… but the Second Trio-Gene Bazhoul is in its sixth cycle, it’s very important!” Donna hugged her mother, head at her waist and arms around her hips. 

Rose stroked the long hair and smiled faintly. “I know… its okay… but lunch needs to be eaten at lunchtime or else where would we be?”

Five minutes later the Doctor was tucking Isabella into her high-chair and then all six began to eat, chatting about their different achievements.

Rosaline was quiet, but made comments when prompted or asked, so there was nothing out of the ordinary there. She had explained this to her parents a while back. Why did she need to use her voice when Donna could say it for her? 

Oh, and Donna did, talking nine to the dozen with her siblings and father about the inner workings of their new TARDIS and all it achieved. Rosaline merely agreed and seemed completely at ease with this. In fact, on the rare occasions that they had been separated for more then a few hours, they both became fretful and frightened. They were both content to take the roles they had been given. 

Donna was a brilliant mind, with a gift for rambling. She was messy and a hoarder. You could guarantee that if something went astray, she had taken it and hidden it away in her messy room which no one was allowed to enter and which their new TARDIS had complied with and only allowed her access.

Rosaline was quiet, but it didn’t make her insipid. She was glowing with her inner knowledge and it was often called upon when things started to get hectic. She was the calm that kept the storms at bay. She was loving and helpful, the opposite of her twin in that she was tidy and organised. Rose and she had a relationship that sometimes left other members of the family feeling a little envious, but this wasn’t necessary in the long run. Rose was a fair parent and it all balanced in the end.

And where, I hear you ask, was Alluna amongst this happy scene? Oh, she was on her way, doubtless most of these Time lord and Part Time Lords sensed her and weren't worried. Rose had got used to this. As soon as Luna had turned eight, she was a law unto herself, drifting in and out and losing herself amongst the many corridors and rooms of this temporal space.

The Doctor was in full knowledge that there was even some sort of Academy or school growing within and Alluna was the first and only student. Tony’s education had been undertaken by his father and they was so well bonded in this that it was quite obvious the TARDIS wanted it to remain as such.

The twins were on the cusp of starting their formal schooling and would soon be joining Luna. Both were looking towards this tremendously and asked her never ending questions.

At this moment, Luna drifted into the room, a beatific smile upon her face. Her feet almost glided above the ground and she seemed to use her hands less and less to get what she wanted.

All watched as she allowed the soup to pour itself and the chunkiest crust of bread to land on her side dish. She began to eat without speaking although all bar Rose had her gentle satisfied humming in their heads.

“Good mornings work?” asked the Doctor, “No, out loud!”

“Sorry… yes… I had a practical… ‘The sealing of the temporal chasms’… I sort of lost track.”

“Really? Temporal exercise shouldn't really... I mean… not yet…” He could hardly keep the pride at bay.

“Oh, and I think I may have stumbled on a few simple exercises for you Mum.”

“We've been through this, I'm not sure if I want to hear all your busy thoughts… been getting enough of it from this one, perhaps you can explain that?”

“You’re hearing Bella?” This was Tony’s voice, sharp and alarmed.

“No, not Bella… silly… look, it’s lovely of you all and everything… but it’s fine. I accepted it years ago.

Tony looked puzzled, exchanged an eye meet with his father and then looked back to his mother for an explanation.

“Rose?”

“This time I feel and hear… so you don’t have to pretend for me, okay?”

“What are you talking about, Rose?”

“The baby!”

“What baby?”

“This one, here!” She clutched her stomach and looked at the Doctor’s face under her lashes. “You didn't know?”

“Know what, Mum?” Alluna looked almost shocked that her mother had knowledge of something she didn't.

“You… you don’t know? None of you know?”

“Baby?” the Doctor repeated, blinking.

“I'm pregnant and he’s here,” she tapped her head on the side with a worried smile.

The Doctor was on his feet and by her side in next to no time. He pulled her jumper up and let his fingers examine her little stomach muttering words and twitching. Rose distinctly heard the words ‘phantom pregnancy’ in amongst them and began to bristle with indignant annoyance.

It wasn't until they were all packed into the infirmary did Rose’s words become truth. They all observed the tiny pulsating dot on the scanner.

“Why didn't you all know, Doctor? Is there something wrong? He will be alright, won’t he?”

The Doctor turned to her, tears in his eyes and Tony by his side looking older and happier than she had seen him in a while.

“Oh, Rose, he’s perfect… you’re so clever!”


	40. Chapter 40

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I cried buckets as I finished this, but I am here, finally ending something that has been close to me for so very long, cos if I didn't finish it, I would, to quote my most favourite man "be wheeling it out in its bath-chair!"_

It had been a long month and Rose watches the final preparations with mixed feelings. Primarily two conflicting ones, which are a stomach-gnawing fear and, the other, an exhilarating excitement. 

The Doctor, Tim, is beside himself with utter joy. He has appeared to be walking around on the balls of his scruffy converses most of the time.

The children listen intently to all his suggestions and tactfully suggest their own, deferring to his experience with respect.

Tony, now fourteen, is as tall as his father and still holds his remarkable features, possibly more so now that he is becoming a man. He worships his father and has learnt so much from him. They are virtually inseparable during the day. The Doctor is Tony’s best friend and there is nothing that he can’t ask his father about.

Alluna has carved her role within the family with ease. A beautiful, ethereal child, now ten, her blonde curls grow wildly around her head and her intense blue eyes (inherited from her formidable grandmother) seem as if they have no end to them. Her ability to control both objects and people with her mind is truly an awesome talent and the Doctor knows that during their travels, this is going to become very useful indeed. She has a particularly special relationship with her older brother and has made huge progress in breaking down the barriers he had created in his mind during his first three years.

Rosaline is the elder of the twins by a few minutes, but at eight, she is almost too grown up and sometimes her mother has to hold her back and let her be a child for a change. She is the spitting image of her mother, blonde hair that is likely to darken as she gets older and those deep amber eyes that could bewitch any one of her family if she had ever chosen. Suffice to say, she is too sweet-natured and the thought would never have crossed her mind. She always manages to find the time to stop and help her mother. She seems all too aware how easy it could have been for her mother to   
feel left out.

Donna is fiery and bossy. She speaks for all, and often reminds her father of his mother-in-law and sometimes, though he's never mentioned it, of Donna Noble herself, which makes sense considering he still has elements of her floating about in his own system. Both twins are naturally talented in all things TARDIS and have spent many long nights holed up together encouraging certain aspects of it to either grow or be built. She is constantly threatening to dye her strawberry blonde mass of hair ginger and the Doctor knows that one day she probably will. When it comes to the really important decisions, she always, always, looks to her twin for the final answer.

Isobella is four now and a mechanical wizard. Small and spritely, she can crawl into the smallest of spaces and fix or connect with complete understanding. She had grasped the possibilities of quantum physics well before her older siblings, but didn’t see that this was anything particularly unusual. She has a mass of dark brown curly hair and dark brown eyes to match. If ever anyone needs to find her, nine times out of time it would be in the engine room, where she likes to fiddle (tinker, as Rose calls it) for hours on end. Her father had even put a hammock up in there after finding her asleep on the hard floor one night.

Shen is the youngest of the family and the last. They all know this because he told them when he was very young, unborn at that point, in fact. He was named this for his spirituality. Completely different from Alluna, he is deep in thought. Where she can manipulate object and thought to her will, he is, even at two, more philosophical. His first communications to his mother was his way of letting her know how important she is to them all and it opened up a new way of thinking for her certainly. He had no hair at birth and has little enough now. What has grown is fine and dark. His ears stick out from his face in a way that often makes Rose smile secretly to herself and annoys her husband on a regular basis. 

So this is the family complete and loved. They all have their own special bonds with one another and there is little conflict. Well, except when Donna throws a wobbly, which doesn't happen that often and is usually dealt with by her sister, Rosaline or by her grandmother if it is really difficult. This makes her sound out of control and she really isn't. She’s headstrong and passionate and sometimes, she needs to be calmed more firmly than most. It improves with each year and all feel that she is as ready as her sister to begin the destiny that they have been handed.

So today, Rose is a mixed bag as she observes the goings on around her. It’s like they’re going on holiday and the squeals of excitement and giggling would challenge any outsider to believe anything different.

Jackie and Pete are setting down instructions to the staff for their long absence and the Doctor has set up a magnificent communication system in their wing which will let them keep tabs on what is going on in their world no matter where or, indeed, when they are.

Yes, you read that right; Jackie and Pete are to be travelling along with them. It was Alluna that discovered their wing and Shen and she,working with the new TARDIS, realised who it was for and what it meant.

It was hard for them to get used to the idea, but the final reasoning was that, in true Disney style, they are all family and no one was going to be left behind.

The time for the maiden voyage has come and all of them (bar Jackie and Pete who had chosen to remain in their wing) stood in the console room in reverent silence.

“Rosaline… Donna…” is all the Doctor needed to say and then they took over, readying this new ship that they have spent all their lives preparing for.

The noise is stupendous, sending shivers down all of their spines, and as they hold hands and felt their stomachs fly upwards, the TARDIS moves happily into the vortex.

So, if you want to go with them, I think you should know... you’re going to see all sorts of things.

Ghosts from the past, aliens from the future, the day the Earth died in a ball of fire. And if you think you've seen it all before, then think again because outside those doors, they could find new worlds, terrifying monsters... impossible things.

It won’t be quiet and it won’t be safe and it won’t be calm. But, I can tell you something, if you go with them… nothing will be the same again.

The TARDIS rocked for a moment and then shuddered to a standstill. Everyone looked at each other excitedly.

The Doctor looked at the screen and nodded at the twins.

Tony and Alluna were the first down the ramp closely followed by Rosaline, Donna and Isobella. Rose, was next with Shen on her hip.

The Doctor stood by the console alone; a deep shuddering breath escaped him. This was real, right?

The doors opened again with a familiar creak and Rose skipped back up the ramp looking as fresh as she had all those years ago.

“Come on… let’s go!” she giggled, tapping his tummy. He needed no more than this. Taking her hand, his handsome and happy face broke into a deep, wide grin and together… they ran...


End file.
